


TROUVAILLE {DISCONTINUED}

by stupidxvisor



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Edward Styles, Alpha Harry Styles, Alpha Marcel (Best Song Ever), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Autism Spectrum, Ballerina Louis Tomlinson, Ballet, Famous Harry Styles, Famous Louis Tomlinson, Homelessness, Mpreg, Omega Louis Tomlinson, Original Character(s), Past Drug Addiction, Past Drug Use, Single Parents, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Stubborn Louis Tomlinson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:54:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 40,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27594433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stupidxvisor/pseuds/stupidxvisor
Summary: Trouvaille{troo-vi}a lucky findLouis doesn't believe in fate. He has finally made peace with the fact that he didn't have a soulmate. He figured that fate just fucked up in giving him three sentences on his wrist. That maybe he was a fluke.Everyone has a soulmate.That one person they are supposed to be with. Etched on the wrist of every single person are the first words your soulmate is going to say to you.Harry, Edward, and Marcel used to believe in fate. They grew up with the same phrase etched onto their wrists in the same black lettering. But months turned into years, and they never found their special omega.Atticus was born simply because the triplets decided to sleep with someone. Love was never an option because they just wanted to find their soulmate. So when their son was born on a chilly November evening, they welcomed the idea of a new adventure.Atticus is an adorable little boy with Asperger's. He doesn't make friends very easily and only likes one person besides his three fathers.Until he meets Louis, his unmated Omegan French ballet teacher.ORThe one where the triplets are single dads and Louis is a ballet teacher with a dark past.
Relationships: Calum Hood/Ashton Irwin, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne/Original Female Character(s), Marcel/Edward Styles/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Michael Clifford/Luke Hemmings, Niall Horan/Zayn Malik
Comments: 86
Kudos: 389





	1. Preface

"What are the chances you'd ever meet someone like that? he wondered. Someone you could love forever, someone who would forever love you back? And what did you do when that person was born half a world away? The math seemed impossible."

― Rainbow Rowell

H A R R Y

"It's alright. He's a cute kid."

The same sentence has been permanently etched on Harry's skin for as long as he could remember. Most of the time it was hidden under a simple black bracelet, something that every kid in his grade had. The mere sight of the simple black lettering filled him with hope and excitement.

He couldn't wait to meet his soulmate.

The one person made just for him.

"What does yours say, Haz?" Marcel mumbled, fixing his dorky glasses that were sliding down his nose. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours!"

Edward, who was focused on his coloring sheet, let out a gasp. "Mummy said that we weren't allowed to!"

"But I wanna know!" Marcel whined, fiddling with his bracelet.

Harry smirked childishly at his fellow triplets. "I bet mine is better than yours, Eddy!"

The eldest triplet narrowed his green eyes at his little brother, clenching his fists in annoyance. "No, it's not! Mine is better!"

"Prove it!"

Much to Marcel's and Harry's excitement, the eldest triplet ripped off his black bracelet to show the words that were etched onto his wrist. "See! Mine is super cool! I bet yours is stupid, Harry."

Harry eagerly looked at his older brother's wrist, his excited smile quickly being replaced by a small frown. "It looks like mine!"

Edward's head snapped up, his green eyes full of confusion. "What? No, it doesn't!"

Marcel fixed his glasses, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Edward's wrist. "It looks like mine, too! Is it supposed to do that?"

Harry ripped off his bracelet, shoving his wrist in Edward's direction. Marcel did as well, looking a bit spooked as they studied the words on their skin. It was painfully clear to all three of the seven-year-olds that something was wrong.

That, for some odd reason, they all shared a single soulmate.

L O U I S

"I'm sorry we're late."

"Holy shit!"

"It's you!"

Louis anxiously followed his mother inside the beautiful ballet studio. He could feel all the other girls looking at him and giggling. It wasn't because he was a boy taking ballet, but because of the three black bracelets, he had on his wrist.

"Mummy, they're laughing at me," Louis mumbled, pulling on his mother's floor-length skirt. His mum taught ballet to a bunch of younger kids, which is why he was here.

Jay looked down at her son, her blue eyes softening at the sight of his tears. "Don't cry, sweetheart. They're only laughing because they've never seen this before."

"I don't want them to laugh at me." 

His mother sighed, kneeling in front of her son so she could look him in the eyes. "Sweetheart, you're going to experience a lot of people judging you. But only you can decide to let them bother you."

"But-"

Jay's voice cut him off, her french accent quickly soothing his nerves. "You'll get through this, my love. All you have to do is hold your head high and smile."

******


	2. Wait For Me

"I told you. You don't love someone because of their looks or their clothes or their car. You love them because they sing a song only your heart can understand."  
― L.J. Smith

TWENTY YEARS LATER

{Louis is twenty-two}

{The triplets are twenty-seven}

L O U I S

London looked especially bleak to the blue-eyed omega. 

The sky above him was cloudy, and the wind was chilly against his tan skin. He hasn't been in the U.K a full week and he's already missing Paris. He's already missing his quaint house on the outskirts of the beautiful city.

In front of him, decorated in soft fairy lights and mellow pastels, was his old ballet studio. The same studio where his mother taught him to dance and showed him that he didn't need anybody's opinion.

His life was simpler then.

"Louis!"

The blue-eyed omega blinked out of his daze, a smile creeping onto his beautiful features as his childhood best friend nearly tackled him. "Don't knock me over, you egghead!"

"I missed you too!" Niall blubbered, clinging to his best friend as he depended on it.

Niall Horan was the omega son of the kind lady who owned the studio. Since Louis spent so much time in this studio, he was often forced to do things with this idiot.

Niall was the only person who didn't make fun of the three bracelets on Louis's wrist.

Louis pulled away from the tight embrace, his baby blues scanning his best friend (who he hasn't seen in almost two years.) His eyes focused on Niall's wrist, quickly noticing the beautifully made bracelet that covered his sentence.

The new bracelet was obviously made by Niall's soulmate.

Until they find their soulmate, adults and children were expected to wear a standard black bracelet to cover their soulmate's first words. Whatever was on their skin was considered private. Once a person finds their soulmate, they're finally allowed to ditch the ugly black band for a bracelet made by their soulmate.

Niall's new bracelet was a soft pastel blue with white threaded clouds stitched into it. It was a piece of literal artwork.

Niall noticed Louis's stare, a soft blush dusting his cheeks. "His name is Zayn. He's an artist at a studio in America."

"Congrats, Nialler." Louis reached forward, letting his fingers brush against the soft fabric. "You're moving to America? I just got here!"

His best friend automatically shook his head, a loud chuckle escaping his lips. "God, no. Zayn trusts me enough to stay here and run the studio with you."

"Thank god."

Louis allowed himself to be lead inside the dance studio, soft giggles escaping his lips. It seems like it's been forever since he's seen his best friend. Since he's laughed this hard.

He hasn't laughed like this since...

Since his mum died.

******

H A R R Y

"Atticus!" 

The small alpha boy was nowhere in sight, which only spurred Harry's anxiety even more. This was supposed to be a nice walk in the park, but as soon as the little four-years-old saw a dog...

He bolted.

Harry could feel the looks of concerned disapproval from other parents as he ran around the private park in his Gucci shirt. "Atticus, I am not playing these games! Where are you?"

Edward's gonna kick my ass, Harry thought as he wiped a bit of sweat off of his forehead. He shouldn't even be sweating, considering how chilly it was right now. This is not how he wanted to die.

How the fuck can this four-year-old move so fast?

"Daddy!" Atticus cheered as Harry rounded a corner in the path. "Look! Doggy!"

The four-year-old was currently petting a large black dog, letting out squeals as the mutt licked his face. Harry let out a sigh of relief, rushing forward to pick his son up in his arms. Atticus struggled, obviously wanting to pet the random dog some more.

"Put me down! I wanna pet the puppy!" Atticus whined, desperately kicking in an attempt to get down.

Harry made his son look at him. "Atticus, what have I told you about running off? You scared daddy!"

Atticus stilled, looking up at his father with his doe-like brown eyes. "Scared? I didn't mean to scare you, daddy." 

"I know." Harry's tone was soft as he ran his fingers through the boy's chocolate curls. "You're gonna sit in timeout when we get home. You know that you're not supposed to run off like that."

The small four-year-old pouted, looking away from his father to the dog. "Can we bring Clifford home daddy? He needs help!"

Harry looked in the dog's direction, his nose wrinkling as he noticed how dirty it was. "Clifford? How do you know that his name is Clifford?"

"I picked it!"

The green-eyed alpha automatically shook his head, taking a few steps away from the stray dog. "No way, Atticus. Poppa is allergic."

"But he needs a home, daddy!" Atticus argued, his eyebrows furrowed. The toddler crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at his father. "You told me that some people need help sometimes! He's not a person, but he needs help."

Harry sighed, looking between Atticus and the stray dog. No matter how many steps he took, the dog was clearly following them. "Poppa is allergic, bud."

"He can take my medicine!"

Harry's resolve was clearly crumbling. He's never been able to say no to his son, and the proof was in the fact that the kid had a whole butterfly sanctuary in their backyard. 

Yeah, he's a bit spoiled.

"Fine." Harry relented, setting his son down gently. "But if Poppa and Dad yell at me, it's your fault."

Atticus grinned.

Harry watched fondly as his son hugged the dirty creature. His life has finally settled on a peaceful continuum. He's a successful musician with the most adorable little boy. He lives his best life, with his brothers.

But only one thing was missing.

Harry still has that stupid black band tied around his wrist. He still doesn't have the one person meant for him. Meant for his brothers.

How long was he supposed to wait?

******


	3. A Bird Set Free

"Our universe grants every soul a twin-a reflection of themselves - the kindred spirit - And no matter where they are or how far away they are from each other- even if they are in different dimensions, they will always find one another. This is destiny; this is love."

― Julie Dillon

L O U I S

Louis carried his gym-bag downstairs, his heart thudding in his ears. Niall's (and now his) apartment was above the studio, making it very convenient for the omega to practice his dance routine.

Classes didn't start until tomorrow, so Louis really wanted to practice the contemporary piece he would show his students as an intro to the class.

Niall was going to be teaching older kids and Louis would teach the little ones.

The blue-eyed omega had always been fond of small kids, enjoying their interests and innocent jokes. He especially loves watching their passion for dance and music grow over a period of time. It reminded him of himself.

To love dance is to love music because they often go hand in hand.

That's why, for the first big project, Louis would allow his students to pick a song they were passionate about. It didn't matter if they were good at dancing; that's why they were in the class.

It's about directing their passion and interest.

It's about embracing themselves and their talent.

At least, that's what Louis's mother always said.

The blue-eyed omega began his usual stretches, making sure to force himself too hard. Raising his leg over his head, Louis allowed his eyes to close as he focused on the pattern of his breathing. He had always been flexible, even as a rambunctious toddler.

As he stretched, Louis allowed his mind to wander. Memories of his mother flashed in his brain, the familiar lilt of her french accent faint in his ears.

He misses her so much.

Once Louis was finished stretching, the blue-eyed beauty pulled his faded pointe shoes from his bag. The sight of the faint blue needlework brought a small smile to his face.

When he was younger, Louis's mother always told him that his pointe shoes needed to be an extended part of himself. Unique to his personality and full of life. She loved to sew faint patterns into his practice shoes, which is part of the reason the omega hasn't gotten a new pair in two years.

He didn't want to let her go.

Not yet.

He knew the basics of taking care of the shoes and reinforcing them now and then. But he couldn't bring himself to get another pair.

Louis wasn't actually going to wear them to dance, he just needed them close by. It made him feel like his mother was watching him dance.

Watching him with a proud smile.

The blue-eyed omega hooked up his battered iPhone to the Bluetooth speaker, breathing through his nose as he settled into his beginning stance.

The soft hum of the chords made his body move of its own accord.

Clipped wings, I was a broken thing

Had a voice, had a voice, but I could not sing

You would wind me down

I struggled on the ground, oh

Louis focused on his breathing, carefully moving in time with the music. This was a song he felt so passionate about, a song that made feel something beyond the numb of his pain.

So lost, the line had been crossed

Had a voice, had a voice, but I could not talk

You held me down

I struggle to fly now, oh

But there's a scream inside that we all try to hide

We hold on so tight, we cannot deny

Eats us alive, oh, it eats us alive, oh

The way Louis's body moved was nothing short of pure grace. He carried himself with a sense of humbled pride; knowing that his mother would want him to be the very best of himself.

He couldn't let her down.

Yes, there's a scream inside that we all try to hide

We hold on so tight,

but I don't wanna die, no

I don't wanna die,

I don't wanna die

And I don't care if I sing off-key

I found myself in my melodies

I sing for love,

I sing for me

I shout it out like a bird set free

No, I don't care if I sing off-key

I found myself in my melodies

I sing for love,

I sing for me

I'll shout it out like a bird set free

(Oh-oh-oh)

I'll shout it out like a bird set free

(Oh-oh-oh)

I'll shout it out like a bird set free

M A R C E L

"Poppa!"

Marcel looked up from his laptop, a proud smile dawning on his features at the sight of his four-year-old son. "What is it?"

Atticus was sitting on the floor of Marcel's office, a rainbow tutu on his waist, and a crown on his head. Clifford (although he made the poor alpha sneeze) was curled next to the toddler with a matching crown on his head.

"I wanna go, dancing class!" Atticus said brightly, playing with his Batman action figure. "When can I see Uncle Niall?"

Marcel sighed, shutting his laptop. "Your class doesn't start until tomorrow, bub. And Uncle Niall is teaching the big kids, so you'll be seeing a different teacher."

The small toddler pouted, looking up at his father with his large brown eyes. "But I don't want another teacher! I want Uncle Niall!"

Atticus has always struggled with making friends.

The four-year-old would rarely trust anybody, even kids his own age. That's why he has as many pets as he does; simply because he prefers animals to people.

Marcel, Edward, and Harry (but mainly Marcel) grew up with Niall, who was the child of a close friend to the family.

His family ran a dance studio that was very welcoming to kids like Atticus.

Atticus simply adores Niall, probably because the small man was an omega. Because of this, the triplets pretty much only trusted him with babysitting. Taking care of a child that was on the spectrum could be particularly difficult, but the omega helped a lot.

"Uncle Niall said that the new teacher is really nice, bub." Marcel tried, joining his upset son on the carpeted floor.

Atticus was glaring at his action figure, his tiny fists clenched tightly.

Marcel sighed sympathetically, reaching forward to tuck one of the toddler's many curls behind his ear. "If the new teacher isn't nice, I'm sure that Uncle Niall will love to have you in his class."

******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to give away Atticus's character too much, so please don't be mad.
> 
> I have plenty of experience with autism (although he isn't severe) and I do my research. If any of you guys feel disrespected or upset by my portrayal, please send me a message!
> 
> I value you guys so so so much!
> 
> The rest of the class (all the cute babies) will have their own character sheets and stuff. I've planned out numerous different side plots and I'm so excited! I am going to update the warnings in the first chapter, so please go and look at that.
> 
> All the Love,
> 
> Ash


	4. Soft Wildflowers

"Obsessions are the only things that matter."  
― Patricia Highsmith

L O U I S

When Louis awoke the next morning, he felt a strange sense of euphoria. His muscles were slightly stiff, probably because the omega didn't take a shower after rehearsal yesterday. Something was different about today, but he couldn't figure out what.

"I made you some tea," Niall murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

Louis yawned, stretching his stiff limbs. "What time is it?"

"Almost nine. The kids will be here soon"

Louis literally fell out of his bed, bolting upright on the floor. "What the fuck do you mean it's nine?! I told you to wake me up at seven!"

"Bold of you to assume I'd be awake." Niall walked out of Louis's room, loudly sipping on his coffee.

The blue-eyed omega sighed in exasperation, pulling at his chestnut hair. He had to take a shower and prepare the classroom, and that's only what he can think of right now!

"Niall!" Louis's anxiety was increasing. "Tu es une salope!"

Niall appeared again, his eyes narrowed at his best friend. "Don't you curse at me in French! I'll kick your bloody arse!"

Louis lifted himself off of the floor, crossing his arms. Neither of the omegas was morning people, so this honestly isn't much of a surprise. "Can you greet the kids while I take a shower, then? I smell like garbage."

Niall sighed, taking another sip of his coffee. "Fine. But you owe me lunch."

"Deal."

E D W A R D

"Come on, kiddo."

Edward lifted Atticus off the ground and into his car seat, subconsciously checking his watch. They were ten minutes behind schedule, so that means they couldn't stop for breakfast on the way to the studio.

Thank god Niall has a whole stash of food specifically for Atticus.

"Uncle Niall?" Atticus's voice was full of excitement, the small alpha toddler eagerly tapping into his car seat. It was a small tic he had learned from his speech therapist.

Edward nodded, quickly buckling the toddler in. "Yup. We're gonna see Uncle Niall."

"Yes!"

The eldest triplet didn't have it in him to remind his son that Niall wasn't his teacher. That his new teacher is some new prick from Paris. His head is already pounding, and the last thing he needs to hear is Atticus throwing a tantrum.

Honestly, Edward shouldn't be bashing the man. He's just really protective of his son.

Niall is the only omega he's ever allowed around his four-year-old and that was because he had already found his soulmate. The last thing Edward wants is for his son to get attached to an omega only for that person to eventually leave.

Edward's an arrogant son of a bitch, so he doesn't have to worry about random omegas trying to sleep with him. Most find him completely unbearable.

The only reason Atticus is here is because of the triplets' twenty-third birthday; and even then, the omega was far more interested in Harry and Marcel.

"Baba?" Atticus's voice made Edward snap out of his daze.

Edward silently cursed, pressing a soft kiss to the toddler's forehead and shutting the door. In his mess of rambling thoughts, he had completely forgotten that they were running late.

Within fifteen short minutes, the pair arrived at Niall's studio. The familiar sight of the soft fairy lights and mellow pastels made Atticus's tapping grow steadily louder. Edward could see parents walking their kids inside, some of them sparing a few glares in the alpha's direction.

Yeah, not a lot of people like Edward.

"Hurry up, Baba!" Atticus shrieked, kicking his legs as Edward parked the SUV.

Edward smiled fondly at his son. "Remember what we talked about, Atticus?"

The toddler nodded, his brown eyes bright. "You said that if I'm good, we can get ice cream later!"

"That's right!" Edward praised, getting out of the vehicle and opening Atticus's door. "If you behave with the new teacher, we'll go get ice cream with extra fudge!"

Atticus was too caught up in the excitement of seeing Niall to really comprehend what his father had said. All he could focus on was the familiar smell of coffee.

And the strange, but nice, the smell of wildflowers.

***

"Uncle Niall!"

The small omega spun around just in time for the excited toddler to slam into him. Edward, who was holding Atticus's sensory bag and gym bag, mentally cringed.

Niall chuckled, hugging Atticus back. "Hey, little man! How's my best friend?"

Edward fondly smiled, placing the two bags in Atticus's cubby. It was nice to see his son bond with someone that wasn't an animal or either of his fathers. "He's really hyper this morning and he hasn't had breakfast yet."

"Is that so?" Niall mused, unwrapping the toddler's arms from around his thigh.

Atticus nodded, his curls bouncing at the sudden movement. "Daddy slept through the alarm, so Baba got to take me today!"

"Why don't you go grab a cereal bar from my office?" Niall pointed in that direction, making sure that Atticus saw. "They're in the same spot under my desk."

The toddler bolted, leaving Niall and Edward alone.

Edward looked around the studio, his eyebrows furrowed when he didn't see any other adult. "Where's the new teacher? Harry wanted me to meet him and talk about Atticus."

"That idiot overslept." Niall snickered, crossing his arms in amusement. "My class doesn't start until after school let's out, so I'm watching the kids until Louis gets out of the shower."

Edward's eyes automatically narrowed. "He overslept? What kind of teacher sleeps in on the first day?"

Niall's expression changed from amused to serious real quick. "He was up all night dancing. That's what he does when he's anxious. Do you think I would have hired him if I didn't think he'd be a good teacher?"

"I-"

The omega cut him off. "Louis kindly accepted my offer to teach here, Edward. He's talented enough that he didn't have to settle for a run-down studio in London. Don't judge him when you haven't even met him!"

"I'm just concerned that he won't be able to keep up with Atticus!" Edward defended himself, trying to ignore the guilt that was growing in his chest.

Niall's gaze immediately softened. "Is that what you're concerned about? Didn't Harry tell you who he is?"

Edward's eyebrows furrowed. "No? He just said that the new teacher was an omega from Paris."

"God, he's a fucking idiot." Niall chuckled, rubbing his temples. "The new teacher is Louis Tomlinson, Edward. His mum is - was a world-renowned ballerina who adopted numerous special needs children!"

Edward wanted to facepalm himself.

Of course, Harry would forget to mention that.

Johannah Deakin was probably the kindest woman alive. Edward distinctly remembers seeing her around Niall when they were kids. She always had a different kid on each arm every time he saw her, so there is no telling who this Louis character was.

He's heard his name, though.

Louis Tomlinson is a dance prodigy known for putting together charity events for children with disabilities. He's donated millions. He's probably over-qualified at this point to handle Atticus, who was barely even on the spectrum.

But he dropped off of the face of the earth two years ago, after his mother died. Nobody knew where he had gone.

But what the hell was he doing in London?

****


	5. Being Different Doesn't Mean Less Human

"One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself."  
― Shannon L. Alder

L O U I S

The blue-eyed Omega pulled his tan tights onto his legs, struggling to get them over his hips. Sometimes Louis despises being an omega because of times like these. Once his tights were on his legs, he slipped on his leotard as well.

As a finishing touch, Louis tied one of his mother's skirts around his waist, smiling softly at the familiar fabric.

He felt incredibly nervous as he grabbed his water bottle out of the fridge and made his way downstairs. He could hear Niall keeping the children occupied with a story, their soft laughter echoing down the hallway.

It's now or never.

"Thanks for watching them." Louis walked into the studio, his heart thudding in his ears as all of the children looked up at him. Some were looking at him with odd expressions, probably because of his weird accent.

Niall smiled brightly at his best friend. "No problem!"

He turned to look at the kids, who were still looking at Louis with wide eyes. "This is your new teacher, Mr. Louis. He's a very close friend of mine."

Automatically, one of the many girls raised her hand. Niall gave her the go-ahead to ask her question. "Why aren't you teaching us anymore?"

"Mr. Louis is much better at teaching than I am, Abigail." Niall's words made Louis blush a bit. "He's really nice and I'm sure that you guys will love him. Any more questions?"

Four out of the six children raised their hands.

Niall looked at Louis. "I'm sure that you can answer their questions. I have to finish writing out my lesson plan."

Louis nodded, trying to ignore his anxiety.

This is so much worse than the one time he had to dance in front of the Queen. Children are brutally honest, and that scared the omega more than anything. Niall left the classroom, offering his friend a comforting smile as he walked out the door.

Louis took a deep breath, taking a seat on the stool Niall had been on previously. "Before I answer your questions, why don't you guys introduce yourselves? And tell me your favorite color!"

One of the taller girls, who Louis remembered as Abigail, stood first. Her ginger hair was pinned back in a perfect ballerina bun, her green eyes matching her leotard and tights. "I'm Abigail Benson! My favorite color is yellow but my mum makes me wear green."

"It's nice to meet you." Louis smiled fondly at the young alpha female. "Next?"

A shy looking male omega stood, anxiously fiddling with his red scrunchie (which was right next to his black bracelet). His hair was bright blond, accenting his hazel eyes well. "I-I'm Hayden. I really like the color r-red."

"Red is my favorite color too." Louis smiled warmly at the male omega, looking expectantly at the next child.

A small girl stood up next, her brown hair done up in pigtails. Every piece of her clothing was bright pink except for her bracelet. Even though she smelled like omega, she had a rambunctious look in her blue eyes. "I'm Mary Jane! My friends call me M.J and my favorite color is pink!"

"Very pretty name." Louis shifted in his seat, fixing his blue and yellow skirt. "Pink is a very fun color!"

When the blue-eyed omega looked to the next child, he was very surprised to see two twins with coffee-colored skin. Everything about them was identical, down to their dark freckles. Both girls were wearing blue hijabs with proud smiles.

"You two are absolutely adorable." Louis' compliment made the young Betas grin even wider.

The one on the right nodded her head respectfully. "My name is Sonia and this is my sister Sadia. She doesn't like to talk very much, Mr. Louis."

Louis nodded. "That's perfectly alright. Mr. Louis is a bit of a mouthful, so you can call me Madame or just Louis. If you need my attention, Sadia, please don't hesitate to raise your hand or have your sister call me."

Sadia nodded, smiling brightly at her sister.

Louis looked to the next child, his eyebrows furrowing at the glare he received. The small alpha was slightly shorter than everybody else, with doe-like brown eyes and unruly brown curls. He was frowning at the teacher with his arms crossed.

"What's your name?" Louis spoke softly, earning a low growl from the toddler.

The rest of the children were watching the interaction with wide eyes.

Louis sighed, breaking the staring contest. "if you don't want to talk, that is perfectly okay. I'm not going to force you. Now, who had questions?"

Sonia, Hayden, Abigail, and M.J. raised their hands.

"Hayden, I saw your hand go up first." Louis smiled at the shy boy, deciding to allow him to go first.

Hayden anxiously fiddled with his scrunchie. "Why is your voice so weird?"

Louis chuckled, not even noticing the way the unknown alpha child's head snapped up. "I grew up in Paris. As a child, I traveled back and forth from France to here, so my accent is a mix of both."

"That's so cool!" Abigail blurted, her green eyes lighting up. "Did you see the Eiffifal Tower?"

Louis smiled fondly at the girl's mispronunciation. "I did. It was a few streets away from where I lived. What was your question?"

Abigail pointed at Louis's arm. "Why do you have three bracelets?"

"Oh, uh," Louis licked his lips nervously. He had forgotten to wear a long-sleeved shirt over his leotard. "I have three soul mates. I haven't met them yet, though."

All of the children gasped, including the small alpha that didn't like Louis all that much. All six of the children scrambled to surround their omega teacher, trying to look at the bracelets.

Louis would have redirected them but a loud cry filled the air as one of the children was pushed over by the only alpha-male.

"Don't touch me!" The small boy screamed, his face red and panic in his eyes.

Abigail was crying, holding her arm. "I wasn't touching you, you freak!"

Louis stood, gently making his way through the crowd of children. The brown-eyed boy's fists were balled tightly, almost like he was ready to fight the female alpha. 

"Abigail, are you alright?" Louis gently helped the girl up, scanning her arm. Her elbow was a bit red, but not too bad.

Abigail nodded, wiping away her tears with her other hand. "Why is that freak crying? I didn't touch him!"

"He's not a freak, Abigail," Louis said sternly, making the young girl look at her feet guiltily. "Just because he's different doesn't make him any less human than you."

Louis gently pushed Abigail towards the rest of the kids. He could hear the upset boy kicking at all of the stools in anger, crying in pure frustration. "Go wait in the hallway. I need to calm him down."

"He's gonna hurt you!" Abigail tried, looking genuinely concerned for her teacher. The other children made noises of agreement.

Louis sighed, pointing at the door again. "I'll be fine, I promise."

***


	6. We'll Be Alright

"Facing it, always facing it, that's the way to get through. Face it."  
― Conrad Joseph

L O U I S

"Hey, you're alright."

The brown-eyed boy growled at Louis, his fists balled tightly. His face was still red with dried tear stains on his cheeks. "I want Uncle Niall!"

Uncle?

Louis began gently releasing his pheromones, sitting on his ankles a few ways away from the upset alpha. "Uncle Niall is working right now. Do you want to talk to me, bub?"

"Don't call me that!" 

The blue-eyed Omega sighed, his gaze soft as he studied the upset child. It was painfully obvious to Louis that this kid was obviously freaking out because Abigail got a little too close for comfort. "Then can you tell me your name? I won't call you that anymore."

"Atticus." The boy growled out, jutting out his bottom lip.

Louis automatically broke into a wide smile, surprising the small boy. "Atticus? Like Atticus Finch?"

Atticus's head snapped up. He hadn't heard anybody besides his Poppa talk about Atticus Finch. "You know who that is?"

"I do!" Louis took the chance to distract the upset boy. "'To Kill A Mockingbird' is one of my favorite books! My mum would read it to me on long plane rides."

Atticus blinked, his fists finally unclenching themselves. His brown eyes were studying Louis with intensity as he'd never been so intrigued by someone before. Cautiously, almost as if he was afraid of startling the omega, Atticus sat down next to his teacher.

"You said that I'm not a freak," Atticus whispered, looking at his hands. "Why?"

Louis's heart literally fucking melted.

The blue-eyed Omega sighed, shifting to sit cross-legged instead. "Just because you process things differently doesn't make you a freak, Atticus. It makes you special."

"That's what Daddy says." Atticus's voice was thick, almost as if he was about to cry. "I don't feel special."

Louis nodded, knowing a little too well how that felt. When he was younger, a lot of kids bullied him for having three bracelets. Everybody thought that he was a freak for having three soul mates. 

It wasn't until his final years of school that Louis learned to love himself.

Growing up rich, Louis experienced a lot more privilege than most people. He never had to worry about food or bills, and he went to the best private school in Paris.

But he did have his own problems.

"I think you're pretty special," Louis murmured, earning a weird look from the small alpha. "Not many boys like to dance, Atticus. When I was your age, I was one of the first male omegas in my class. They thought I was a freak."

Atticus looked shocked. "You? But you're so pretty!"

Louis laughed lightly. "Thank you for the compliment, Atticus. I'm glad you think I'm pretty."

"You should meet Baba!" Atticus declared loudly, a large smile on his face. "He'll think you're pretty, too!"

The blue-eyed Omega cocked his head to the side. "Baba? Is that your mum?"

Atticus's face suddenly looked serious. "I don't have a mum. I have Daddy, Baba, and Poppa! And Uncle Niall when he comes over!"

"Well, I'll make sure to meet them after class." Louis stood on his feet, gently offering his hand to Atticus. "Why don't you pick up the chairs while I get your classmates?"

****

Once Atticus apologized to Abigail, the class ran a lot smoother. Louis allowed everyone to decorate their cubbies and showed them a few of the basics. All of them were really excited to watch the omega dance, but because of the incident, there wasn't enough time.

The class was over at noon, right after lunch.

Louis said goodbye to all of the children, talking to a few of the parents. Sadia and Sonia's parents didn't look like they trusted him, but it was only the first day. He'll have a good chance to prove that he could do this.

Eventually, only one child was left.

"Do you know who's picking you up, Atticus?" Louis approached him with a concerned expression. The toddler was playing with his sensory bag (which was a decent sized duffle bag with fidget objects inside of it) while humming a small tune.

Atticus shrugged. "Usually Poppa does, but he has a book signing today."

Louis sighed, looking around the empty studio. "Do you wanna go see Uncle Niall?"

Atticus's eyes lit up.

***

"Niall? Did you fall asleep at your desk again?"

Louis was standing in front of Niall's closed office, Atticus gripping the fabric of his skirt and tapping his knee. It was odd that the other omega had shut his office door, especially with his class starting soon.

"Louis, I'm on the ph-" Niall's eyes zeroed in on the pup that was clinging to his best friend's skirt. This was not what he was expecting when he opened his door. "Why is Atticus still here? And why is he holding your skirt?"

Louis's eyebrows furrowed. "Because he wants to? Atticus's parents never showed up. He's calling you Uncle, so I figured you knew them?"

Niall sighed. "They probably forgot. Marcel usually picks him up, but that idiot has a book signing today."

"Daddy says that idiot is a bad word, Uncle Niall!" Atticus shouted, poking at the Omega's leg.

Niall chuckled, looking back at Louis. "He likes you. I've never seen him attach to someone so easily. Let me text those idiots and get them here."

"How could they forget their kid?" Louis whispered so Atticus couldn't hear his words.

The other omega gave Louis a weird look. "Didn't Atticus tell you who his parents are? Or are you naturally this dumb?"

Louis gasped, smacking Niall's shoulder. "I'm not dumb!"

Niall narrowed his blue eyes, raising his hand to smack his best friend back. He would have succeeded had it not been for the loud growl Atticus released.

"Don't hit Mada-" Atticus struggled for a second, obviously trying to say Louis's name. The blue-eyed Omega had immediately picked up on the pup's speech impediment when they first talked, so this wasn't a surprise.

Louis smiled fondly. "You can call me Lou, Atticus. It's okay."

Atticus nodded, looking up at Niall. "Don't hit Lou!"

Niall looked like a proper fish, his mouth hanging open. "I thought I was your favorite?!"

*****


	7. He Doesn't Believe In Fate

"Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely."  
― Roy T. Bennett

E D W A R D

Edward was eating lunch when it happened.

When he got the text that basically (not literally) made him shit his pants.

Nialler has added you to a group chat!

< dummies >

Nialler: whom tf is picking up Atticus today?

Nialler: I may be a glorified babysitter but he growled at me :(

Nialler: he doesn't like me anymore :(((

Edward choked on his sandwich, hard coughs racking his body.

He thought he was forgetting something important but he couldn't remember what it was. He completely forgot that Marcel couldn't pick Atticus up from the studio today!

Maybe Harry will do it?

Actually, if Edward forgot then Harry probably did too.

The eldest triplet stood and ran out of his office. He didn't even have time to grab his jacket, even though it's a chilly October day. Atticus was probably freaking out and throwing a tantrum. It was very rare that the small alpha would be okay with his schedule changing.

He's probably really upset right now.

****

L O U I S

"Am I doing it right?"

Louis fondly watched as Atticus tried to imitate his movements. The brown-eyed pup had his foot halfway in the air, but not quite as high as his teachers. "Not quite, but don't push yourself. The last thing we want is for you to get hurt."

Atticus pouted, watching as Louis gracefully lowered his leg. "How did you do that?"

"He's just showing off." Niall snickered from his spot near the door. "He thinks that he's amazing."

Louis rolled his eyes. "I do not-"

"But Lou is amazing!"

The blue-eyed omega blushed lightly. Why is this kid so cute? "Awe, thank you, Atticus. But I'm really not that great. I learned everything from my mum."

Atticus hummed, acting like he didn't hear a word Louis said. "Can you show me again? I think I almost got it!"

Louis nodded, gesturing for the small pup to move closer. "This is called Un Arabesque. It's okay if you can't do it because that's the whole point of practice."

The blue-eyed Omega lifted his leg behind his body, making sure to be extra careful not to overwork his toes. Atticus was watching with wonder and adoration in his brown eyes. 

Louis relaxed, looking down at Atticus. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

Louis guided the pup's small hands to the barre, already knowing that he wouldn't be able to balance it quite well yet. "Take a deep breath, okay? Breathing is very important because you need to feel relaxed and confident. Stiffening up like a board will do you no good."

It was as if Louis's mother was speaking through him in her familiar accent.

Moving here was probably the best decision Louis has ever made. 

****

E D W A R D

The eldest triplet couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to get his ass kicked. Niall may not be Atticus's mother, but he definitely fucking acted like it. The small omega is probably the only person Edward fears.

Besides his own mother, of course.

With anxiety in his chest, Edward parked his car in front of the studio. The parking lot was empty and would be for another hour. Niall's class didn't start until school let out.

As Edward got out of his vehicle, two very familiar cars sped into the parking lot.

One was a Range Rover with heavily tinted windows and another was a clean white Porsche. In the latter, Edward could clearly see a frazzled Marcel. Which means that Harry was probably in the Range Rover.

"You two couldn't do one simple fucking thing?" Marcel sounded pissed, looking especially frazzled in his gray suit. "His new teacher probably thinks we're idiots!"

Harry stepped out of his car, still in sweats and a t-shirt. "For the record, I was recording! I told you that we were writing stuff for the new album!"

The two youngest triplets turned their angry gazes to Edward.

"I forgot!" Edward defensively held his hands up. "Maybe Niall isn't that mad?"

Marcel scoffed, removing his glasses so he could rub his face. "I'm more worried about his new teacher, Edward. Atticus is probably terrorizing him!"

"Did you meet his teacher this morning?" Harry asked his older brother, only looking slightly upset. Edward doesn't have the best memory sometimes.

Edward shook his head. "Apparently his teacher woke up late? Niall was watching the class when I got here."

Marcel sighed, putting his glasses back on his face. "Well, it's a good thing that all of us are here. Let's just hope that he doesn't think that we're horrible parents."

****

L O U I S

Louis let out a giggle as Atticus tackled him from behind. "I don't have it! Niall took it!"

Atticus's laughter was cute as he chased both of the omegas around the studio. The game of chase was Niall's idea because the poor pup was bored and hyper. Louis went along with it, even supplying a bright green stress ball for the game.

The sound of the studio door opening made Louis look up, Atticus still clinging to his shoulders Three identical alphas were watching them with gobsmacked expressions.

"Daddy!" Atticus cheered, allowing Louis to put him down. "Poppa! Baba!"

Niall sighed in relief, appearing from behind a stack of chairs with the ball in hand. "About damn time! I thought I was gonna have to drive him home myself!"

Louis fondly watched as Atticus hugged each of the alphas, walking away from them so they could talk to Niall. Each of them wouldn't stop staring at him, though. 

Atticus is definitely their kid.

Before Louis could leave, however, the tallest triplet shuffled forward to shake his hand. His green eyes were full of embarrassment and soft humility. "I'm sorry we're late. Thanks for watching him."

Louis's world came to a shattering halt.

All he could do was stare at the alpha's outstretched hand, his mouth suddenly very dry. Panic slowly settled into his chest as he put two and two together.

No matter what he said, it was only going to confirm his worst fears.

He doesn't want to be with someone just because words on his wrist told him to. He wants to fall in love and find his own way. He doesn't believe in fate anymore, so why is he stuck on this?

He's so tired of everyone making decisions for him.

Louis smiled softly, taking the alpha's hand. "It's alright. He's a cute kid."

*****


	8. Fate is Circumstantial Bullshit

"He had something in him, how he walked, how he carried himself with that carelessness, he wasn't my type entirely if I ever had a type of guy before him."  
― Sela Ordaz

H A R R Y

Harry watched with wide eyes as Atticus tackled the unknown omega. Marcel had suggested that they watch for a few seconds to see how their son was handling the new teacher, and it was safe to say that they were shocked.

Harry has never seen Atticus so taken with someone before.

The male omega was short with slender limbs that indicated he was an experienced dancer. From the little bit that Harry could see, the omega also had bright blue eyes that seemed to be full of something he couldn't quite read.

Harry is absolutely starstruck.

From the light-colored leotard to the flowing skirt tied around his waist, this omega screamed perfection.

And from the way that Atticus was clinging to him, it was obvious that the young pup could see it too.

"What the fuck?"

Edward sounded like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

To be fair, Harry couldn't either.

"I can't tell if he's attacking his teacher or hugging him," Marcel murmured, his eyebrows furrowed as he fixed his glasses. "Where's Niall?"

Harry shrugged, smiling fondly at the sight. "I don't know, but we should probably go introduce ourselves."

The other triplets nodded in agreement, looking equally as nervous as Harry. Edward took the lead, pushing the door open and hearing the familiar sound of the bell. The Omega teacher looked up, a faint blush on his cheeks as he took in their shocked expressions.

The air smelled heavily of wildflowers and soft vanilla, a scent that each of the triplets would gladly pay to smell every day.

"Daddy!" Atticus cheered as his teacher set him on the floor. "Poppa! Baba!"

The small pup hugged each of them, his own cedar scent is masked by that of wildflowers. As much as Harry hated to admit it, he liked the idea of this random omega scenting his son.

Today was just full of surprises.

A fond look dawned on the blue-eyed Omega's features as he watched Atticus greet each of his fathers.

"About damn time!" Niall appeared from behind a stack of chairs, a green stress ball in his hands and a look of disapproval in his eyes. "I thought I was gonna have to drive him home myself!"

All three triplets winced at his tone.

Niall crossed his arms, coming to a halt in front of them. "You're lucky that he likes Louis. If it had been anybody else, he would have flipped his shit."

Marcel nodded, looking down at the pup that was attached to his leg. "Do you like your new teacher, bub? I told you that he would be nice."

"Lou is the best!" Atticus cheered, tapping eagerly on his father's leg. "He's so pretty and he smells really good!"

Niall rolled his eyes at that. "I'm not his favorite anymore, apparently."

Atticus looked at Niall, narrowing his eyes slightly before moving to attach himself to Edward's leg instead. "Baba! You should go say hi!"

Edward shared a look with Harry and Marcel before looking at the other omega. He was already making his way out of the studio, probably to allow Niall to speak with them. He looked even prettier up close if you can believe that.

"Alright." Edward removed Atticus's hands from his pants. "Stay here with uncle Niall, kiddo. We'll be back."

E D W A R D

Why the fuck is he so nervous to talk to this omega?

Honestly, if Atticus hadn't asked, he was just going to avoid the sweet creature altogether. He's never been good at talking to pretty omegas, especially ones with bright blue eyes.

Edward shuffled towards the omega, hating the way his skin flushed under his gaze. The alpha offered his hand to the blue-eyed omega, trying to keep his emotions in check. "I'm sorry we're late. Thanks for watching him."

Something flashed in the omega's pretty blue eyes that Edward almost didn't recognize.

Recognition?

Fear?

Contempt?

The blue-eyed Omega sighed, smiling softly and placing his hand in Edward's. "It's alright. He's a cute kid."

Edward froze, his heart in his throat as his eyes flickered between their joined hands and the omega's pretty blue eyes. Everything in him wanted to panic and shout every curse word in the book, but someone beat him to it.

"Holy shit!" Harry blurted, saying what everyone else was thinking.

Marcel's eyes widened, his green eyes flickering to the three bracelets on the blue-eyed omega's wrist. "It's you!? W-what?"

The flushed Omega yanked his hand from Edward's grip, taking a cautious step back. His blue eyes were calm as he looked at each of them. "I'm Louis Tomlinson. It's nice to meet you, I guess."

M A R C E L

Does he guess?

Marcel wanted to ask what Louis could've possibly meant by that, but the moment was quickly broken by a curly-haired pup attaching himself to the omega's skirt.

"Lou!" Atticus whined, burying his face in Louis's floor-length skirt. "Uncle Niall won't let me play with the ball!"

Louis looked down at Atticus, a small smile making its way onto his features. The blue-eyed Omega knelt, speaking in a thick accent that was a mix between French and broad Yorkshire. "Did you try asking nicely?"

"I even said please!" Atticus pouted, obviously miffed. "But he said that I couldn't play with it because he's not my favorite!"

Louis rolled his eyes at that. "Of course he did. I have another ball on my yellow desk. Go grab it, yeah?"

Marcel, Edward, and Harry watched as their son took off for the ball, almost shocked at how well the pup was behaving. Louis straightened his back, looking up at them again.

"I should've known." Louis's tone was full of soft disbelief. "I can't seem to catch a break, can I?'

Marcel cleared his throat, awkwardly fixing his glasses. "A break? You almost sound as if this isn't something you wanted."

Louis narrowed his pretty blue eyes. "How could you possibly know what I want? You didn't even know who I was until a few minutes ago."

"Everyone wants to find their soulmate," Harry spoke this time, obviously equally confused. "You're not even a little bit excited?"

The omega sighed, crossing his arms. "For what? For three alphas to sweep me off my feet and knock me up? I apologize for disappointing you, but I'm not gonna fall into your arms because a stupid phrase on your wrist told me to!"

Niall appeared, obviously trying to de-escalate the situation. "Louis, calm down. You don't need to be so rude, you know?"

"You and I know that this is not why I moved here, Niall." Louis's voice was hard as he looked at his best friend. "I can't do this. Not now."

Edward scoffed. "Obviously, you can. Fate has already dec-"

"Fate is total bullshit!" Louis growled out, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

Had it not been for the actual conversation, Marcel probably would've commented on how cute he looked. The way that his lips were set in an obvious frown made it almost look like he was pouting.

Niall looked at the triplets, his face full of sympathy. "You guys should probably leave. I don't need a full screaming match to happen in front of Atticus."

"I agree," Marcel spoke softly, ignoring the looks of outrage he received from his brothers. "This is obviously a big shock and I don't think that Atticus would appreciate the argument."

"But-"

Before Harry could finish his sentence, Atticus zoomed back into the studio. He had a yellow stress ball in his tiny hands, giggling to himself as he repeatedly squeezed it. 

"Lou!" Atticus came to a stop in front of the omega, grinning cutely. He held the ball up victoriously. "I found it!"

The look of anger on Louis's face was quickly replaced with fondness.

It almost gave Marcel whiplash.

Louis ruffled the pup's curls. "Why don't you keep it? I think your dads want to take you home."

Atticus's face fell, the small pup looking up at the triplets. "Home? Why?"

"You can't stay here forever, bud," Harry spoke softly. "We have to get home so Louis and Niall can teach another class."

The brown-eyed pup wrinkled his nose, attaching himself to Louis's leg. "I don't wanna! Who's gonna protect Lou, Daddy?"

L O U I S

Louis hates the way his heart flutters under the triplets' gazes. He hates that whatever god that was up there was probably laughing at him and his situation.

Yeah, he knows exactly who these three idiots are.

Louis sighs (he's done that a lot of that today) and leans down to look at Atticus. "I'll be fine, Atticus. I'll still be here when you come to class tomorrow."

The small alpha pup whined, bunching up the omega's skirt in his tiny fingers. "But who's gonna protect you, Lou? I don't wanna leave!"

It was obvious that Atticus's inner alpha wanted to protect the unmated omega, but it wasn't like Louis was in any danger. He's not leaving the studio. 

"He'll be okay, kiddo." Edward kneeled, trying to detach his son from Louis. "You'll see him tomorrow."

Louis nodded in agreement, hating the way Edward glanced at him. "We're going to start our project, remember? You'll need plenty of sleep."

"But what if you're not here?" Atticus asked his bottom lip wobbling. 

The short omega chuckled. "I'll still be here. I'm not going anywhere, Atticus."

"P-promise?" The small pup held his pinkie, making Louis's heart melt.

Louis linked their pinkies together. "I promise."

****


	9. Eyes Like Sapphires

"He talks a lot, which I'm fine with, and he's not good at maintaining eye contact, which sucks because I want to stare at these electric blue eyes. Punch me if I ever compare them to the sky or the ocean because they're much cooler than that."

― Adam Silvera

E D W A R D

Since Atticus wanted to ride home with Harry, Edward finally had a chance to think about what the fuck just happened.

Everything about Louis Tomlinson confused him.

The blue-eyed omega was the kind of beautiful you only hear about in books or see in cheesy movies. Everything about Louis screamed soft; from his messy chestnut hair to the equally soft skirt that was tied around his waist. He was put together in such a way that even Fate thought he deserved more than one alpha.

The way his eyes seemed to look through Edward is what shook the alpha to his core.

Edward wasn't hurt by the clear rejection. He wasn't even upset.

He was intrigued.

Louis clearly wanted nothing to do with them, and Edward wanted to know why. The eldest triplet wasn't as smart as Marcel, or as talented as Harry, but he knows a broken soul when he sees it.

And Louis's soul was absolutely falling apart.

Whenever Edward would see glimpses of Louis at one of his many charity events, the omega always seemed to put on a front with everybody else. Not once did Edward ever see him react the way he did in the studio today.

That same ferocity was familiar, though.

Whenever Edward was younger, he would find himself hanging around Niall's mother. She always made the best cookies and always served them with cold milk.

Because he hung around her so much, Edward remembers bits and pieces of Jay.

He remembers her peculiar accent and the familiar smell of fresh lavender. He remembers watching the woman teach a bunch of smaller children how to dance. Every word that came out of her mouth was kind and encouraging.

Which is why her death was especially tragic.

Edward was one of the more unfortunate children that had to be reprimanded by the woman, and he remembers how much he hated hearing the disappointment in her French accent. Where she could be kind and calm, she could also be fierce and angry.

He saw that in Louis.

The way Louis's angry gaze softened at the sight of Atticus was proof of that small thing. It proved to Edward that no matter what happened; if they pursued a relationship or didn't, the blue-eyed omega wouldn't take it out on his son.

The way that Louis's eyes filled with fear couldn't seem to leave Edward's mind, no matter how hard he tried to forget it. It was almost as if the short omega was scared of something.

But what could he be afraid of?

And why was he living and teaching at a run-down studio in London?

As Edward remembers, Louis has always been on the more privileged side. He never acted like he was any better than anybody else, it was just that he knew his worth.

Why is he settling for the bare minimum?

Louis could easily be teaching at one of the best schools or performing in front of thousands. Instead, he's surrounding himself with children.

Don't get him wrong, Edward adores someone that selfless, but it just didn't make sense.

What was Louis running from?

****

Edward pulled his SUV into a large garage that was connected to his home. The triplets had more money than they knew what to do with, so they spent it on cars and gifts for Atticus. The familiar sight of his brothers' vehicles filled him with dread.

They probably want to talk about what just happened.

Edward let out a groan, stepping out of his car. Marcel and Harry were probably pissed about the whole thing, which means that he's gonna have to hear them complain.

When the eldest triplet walked inside the large house, he was greeted by a large cat bolting through the house with Atticus close behind. The small pup had a tutu in his hands, probably trying to dress the cat.

Atticus skidded to a halt when he saw Edward. "Baba!"

"Atticus, why are you chasing Darcy?" Edward raised an eyebrow at his son, who looked guilty for a split second. "You know she doesn't like to play dress-up."

Atticus looked at his feet. "I wanted Clifford and Darcy to match..."

Edward chuckled, bending down to pick up the pup off the floor. "Where's daddy and poppa?"

"Poppa is on the couch and daddy is cooking." Atticus hummed, resting his head on Edward's shoulder.

The eldest triplet made a face, that familiar ball of dread in his stomach only growing bigger. Harry never cooked unless he was upset about something. The last time he cooked, it was because Edward had been working late for a solid month.

Edward could still taste the peppers.

"Baba?"

Edward snapped out of his daze at the sound of Atticus's voice. "What is it, kiddo?"

Atticus sat up, focusing on playing with Edwards' tie. "Do you think Lou is pretty?"

The eldest triplet choked on his saliva, looking at his son in surprise. "W-why do you wanna know? I'm pretty sure you already know the answer."

"Because I wanna hear you say it," Atticus mumbled, a soft yawn escaping his lips. "L-Lou has three bands on his wrist, so I thought-"

Edward sighed, chuckling to himself. "I think that Louis is very pretty."

Atticus grinned, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to stay awake. "That's what Daddy said. He also said that Lou has eyes like saph- like saph-"

"Like sapphires?"

The pup nodded.

"Have you had a nap today?" Edward was sure that he already knew the answer, but he wanted to know if Atticus would lie to him.

Atticus shook his head, yawning again. "P-Poppa forgot."

Edward rubbed his son's back, already making his way towards Atticus's room. "Why don't you take a nap, then? I'll wake you up when dinner is ready."

***

As soon as Atticus was asleep in his bed, Edward made his way into the kitchen. The large kitchen was connected to the living room, so he could easily talk to both of his brothers at the same time.

Harry angrily whisked eggs into a bowl, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Marcel was typing on his laptop, looking just as exhausted.

"I put Atticus down for a nap," Edward murmured, grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water. "The poor kid was exhausted."

Marcel groaned. "Fuck! I forgot to put him down for his nap..."

Edward chuckled at that, taking a drink of water. "That's fine, Marcy. So much shit has happened today, I'm surprised Harold hasn't forgotten how to whisk."

"Haha." Harry glared in Edward's direction before focusing on his whisking again. "You're so funny, Ed."

Jesus.

Harry must be pissed.

Edward placed his glass in the sink, already rinsing it out. "You know, I'm upset too. But you don't need to take your frustration out on the eggs."

Harry sighed, placing the whisk in the bowl. "What did we do wrong? Are we that disappointing to him?"

"I don't think that's it," Edward murmured sympathetically, already aware of how much Harry was looking forward to finding their soulmate. "I don't think his issues have anything to do with us. I think he's still upset about his mother."

Harry's head snapped up, his green eyes full of confusion. "His mother? Who the fuck is his mother?"

Marcel let out a loud snort from the other room. Edward joined in shortly after, their laughter making Harry blush a bright red. "Harry, we love you, but sometimes you're dumb."

"Stop laughing at me!" Harry whined, crossing his arms. "I seriously have no idea who you're talking about!"

Edward finally caught his breath, wiping a stray tear from his eye. "Don't you remember Jay? She used to teach at the studio and-"

"Holy shit." Harry's eyes were blown wide. "He's her son? Like, adopted or biological?"

Marcel joined Edward and Harry in the kitchen, his face red from laughing in the living room. "Biological. I thought Niall told you about it when we talked about Atticus getting a new teacher?"

"I tune his voice out most of the time."

Edward and Marcel shared a glance. The eldest triplet sighed, leaning against their marble countertop. "My point is, his mum has been dead for two years. He's probably still struggling with it. How would you feel if mum died before meeting Louis?"

Harry looked at the floor, obviously realizing how much of an idiot he was being. "I'd be upset. But it's been two years, Edward."

"It probably feels like a lot less to him."

Marcel nodded in agreement. "From what little I can remember, Louis and Jay were attached at the hip. He used to hold onto her skirt and follow her wherever she went."

"What the hell is he doing here, then?" harry finally voiced the dilemma that Edward's been facing all day. "He's a fucking billionaire!"

Edward licked his lips absentmindedly. "I've been asking myself that question all day."

****


	10. Like A Hostage

Don't trust everything you see.  
Even salt looks like sugar."  
― Narges Obaid

L O U I S

Louis woke with a start, his heart racing in his ears as he clutched his thick duvet to his chest. Flashes of memories were scattered in his brain, some fictional and some not. Some traumatic, and some not.

The blue-eyed Omega sighed, looking at his battered iPhone through the dim light of the late morning.

It was only eight, which gave him an hour before his class would be here.

As soon as the triplets had left with Atticus in tow, Louis collapsed to the floor of the studio. He had an intense panic attack, something he hadn't experienced since the day his mother died. No matter what solace Niall tried to offer, it wasn't enough.

It never was.

He moved to London to get away from his less than picture-perfect family. He left Paris to get away from a part of himself he despised.

He didn't move here to find love.

That's what he's running away from.

After Louis's mother died, he fell apart. It was like losing a part of himself. While his whole family fought over who was getting her fortune, all Louis wanted to do was hug his mother one last time.

To hear her laugh one last time.

Drugs were an easy way to do that. To numb the pain and forget about the world around him. While his family was tearing itself apart, Louis focused more on chasing his next high. It's not a time that he's proud of.

In fact, he cringes every time he thinks about it.

Louis was so caught up in forgetting, he lost his way. He dropped off the face of the earth, hiding away from the public eye in an attempt to keep his grief hidden.

Eventually, the public forgot that he even existed, and Louis could definitely live with that. Now he walks around without being swarmed and can be himself without worrying about what his father would say.

The fucking bastard could die, and Louis wouldn't shed a single tear.

After Louis stepped out of the shower, the blue-eyed omega pulled black tights over his legs. After fitting his curvy body into a leotard, he slipped on a gray sweater and floor-length skirt. The three bracelets on his wrists were well hidden, which filled Louis with a sense of eerie calm.

He doesn't need the children to ask him about them again.

Grabbing his Bluetooth speaker and phone charger, Louis made his way downstairs. He had a short time before class to dance, so that's what he was going to do.

That's how he's always handled his stress.

Dancing gave him something else to focus on.

Louis quickly stretched out his legs, sliding easily into a position he felt comfortable in. This, ironically, was the splits. It was a quick way to stretch out his legs, which was incredibly important for what he had planned for class today.

Once the blue-eyed Omega was sure his muscles were fully stretched, he started the music that was on his phone screen.

I wanna be alone

Alone with you, does that make sense?

I wanna steal your soul

And hide you in my treasure chest

Every move that Louis made was carefully calculated, using the very extent of his flexibility. He kept his breathing even, using each breath as a chance to course confidence through his body.

Precise movements were only half of what was needed for this dance. Louis needed to feel each note, to understand each lyric so he could portray the proper emotion.

I don't know what to do

To do with your kiss on my neck

I don't know what feels true

But this feels right so stay a sec

Yeah, you feel right so stay a sec

As much as he hates to admit it, Louis dreamed of the triplets last night. He doesn't even know why, or how. He saw flashes of himself wrapped in Harry's arms, sitting in Marcel's lap as the alpha typed away on a silver laptop.

Of laughing with Edward over dinner.

Louis hates it so much because he doesn't even know them! 

They live in the spotlight, just like the blue-eyed Omega did before his mother died. These three alphas could probably hide their emotions incredibly well and he'd have no idea.

And let me crawl inside your veins

I'll build a wall, give you a ball and chain

It's not like me to be so mean

You're all I wanted

Just let me hold you like a hostage

The idea of allowing himself to fall for them fills him with want, but Louis isn't sure if that's him or the belief that he's supposed to be with them.

Gold on your fingertips

Fingertips against my cheek

Gold leaf across your lips

Kiss me until I can't speak

Soulmates don't always work out. Louis saw that first hand with his parents, and every stepdad he's ever had after that. Just because a simple phrase on your wrist says so doesn't mean you'll stay together forever.

Gold chain beneath your shirt

The shirt that you let me wear home

Gold's fake and real love hurts

But nothing hurts when I'm alone

When you're with me and we're alone

M A R C E L

"He's so pretty..."

Marcel nodded in agreement, his heart in his throat as he watched Louis's body move in ways that shouldn't have been possible. Raw emotions came out of him in waves with every movement he made.

Atticus watched as well, his eyebrows furrowed as he focused.

Marcel was just going to drop Atticus off and leave, but nobody was waiting at the front. He knew his way around the studio pretty well, so he had decided to go find someone...

And let me crawl inside your veins

I'll build a wall, give you a ball and chain

It's not like me to be so mean

You're all I wanted

Just let me hold you

Hold you like a hostage

Like a hostage

The song ended, much to Marcel's dismay. As the final note faded away, Louis's back straightened, and his muscles relaxed. He's breathing hard as if the movements had taken something out of him.

"Are you just gonna stand there?" Louis's voice made the green-eyed alpha jump out of his skin. The omega wasn't even looking at him, focusing on gathering his things.

Marcel cleared his throat, a faint blush on his cheeks. "I-I was just dropping Atticus off."

Louis spun around, his blue eyes brightening considerably at the sight of the small pup. "Atticus! You were so quiet, I didn't see you."

Atticus released his grip on Marcel's pants and took off to hug the short omega. "You're so pretty, Lou! Where did you learn to do the splits?"

Louis hugged Atticus back, a faint blush on his cheeks as he locked eyes with Marcel. "I learned it when I was really young. I've always been pretty good at it."

"That's so cool!" Atticus looked back at Marcel, his brown eyes bright. "Isn't that cool, Poppa?"

Marcel blinked out of the spell Louis's pretty blues had put him under. "I think that it was absolutely amazing. You're really talented."

"T-Thanks." Louis blushed a delicate pink, filling Marcel with a sense of pride from having the privilege of making the pretty omega flustered. "I've read some of your books. You're really talented too."

Yup, Marcel just died.

Louis's read his books!

Atticus suddenly let out a screech, making both of the flustered adults jump from the sudden noise. "Lou! You should tell Poppa about Atticus Finch!"

"You don't need to yell, Atticus," Marcel said sternly, making the small pup pout. "Louis is right next to you. Apologize."

Atticus ducked his head, blushing because his poppa just got onto him in front of Louis. "M' sorry, Lou. I forgot that we're inside."

Louis smiled fondly, ruffling the pup's curls. "I accept your apology, Atticus."

"Can you tell Poppa about Atticus Finch now?"

Marcel looked at the small omega, cocking his head to the side. "You've read 'To Kill A Mockingbird'? I-I've never met anybody else in the UK that's read it..."

Louis nodded shyly. "My mother used to read it to me on long trips. We took vacations to America sometimes and she found it at an old bookstore."

Marcel is head over heels at this point.

Beautiful, talented, and intelligent?

Before Marcel could even think of a worthy response, the door to the studio flew open and a group of kids rushed inside. Loud giggles filled the space, making Louis's gaze leave the green-eyed alpha.

Are emotional cockblocks a thing?

*****


	11. Take My Breath Away

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Augustus half-smiled. "Because you're beautiful. I enjoy looking at beautiful people, and I decided a while ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existence."

-John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

M A R C E L

What the hell am I doing?

That same thought is coursing through Marcel's brain as he sits with two of the parents of the other children. After the large group of kids basically emotionally cockblocked their moment, Louis offered the alpha a chance to watch the class.

And since Marcel didn't have anything better to do, he agreed.

The other two parents, both omega females, were sending him weird looks out of the corner of their eyes. They were probably wondering what Harry Styles was doing in this run-down studio...

But Marcel isn't Harry.

Being identical can really suck sometimes.

Watching the blue-eyed omega interact with all six of the kids was really a beautiful sight. He really did his best to include everyone in their activities. It was especially great to see Atticus interacting with kids his own age, which is something Marcel has never seen before.

Louis is way too fucking pretty to be real.

The sweater he was wearing was obviously too big, but it showed off his collarbones extremely well. His chestnut hair looked extremely soft and stuck to his skin as he demonstrated simple dance moves.

Marcel could probably write a whole fucking book series about how gorgeous Louis is. He wishes he could say that he hates the way his heart flutters when the omega laughs, but he would be lying.

Even if Louis wasn't his soulmate, Marcel is pretty convinced that he would still be feeling this way. They've only exchanged a few sentences but the alpha has never wanted someone so bad.

Not sexually, per se, but in the aspect of just wanting to sit in comfortable silence.

Hazza: where the hell are you?

Marcel's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at his phone. He didn't have anything to do today, so why is Harry bugging him?

Hazza: you told mum that we'd have lunch with her today!!!

Fuck.

L O U I S

Why did I ask him to stay?

Louis keeps repeating the same question in the back of his mind as he guides Abigail's hands higher in the air. He can feel Marcel watching him, and it's sending shivers down his spine. The fact that his green eyes haven't left him hasn't helped, either.

He just felt bad that their conversation was interrupted by the kids, so he just blurted out the question. Louis didn't expect Marcel to say yes!

"For today's activity, I want you to pick a song that makes you feel something." Louis was sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, all six of the kids sitting around him in a circle. "It could be sad, angry, or happy. I want you to pick a song that you genuinely like."

Hayden shyly raised his hand, blushing as everybody looked at him. "What if we don't know what the song is called?"

"If you can't remember the title, I will gladly find it for you." Louis smiled at the small omega. "That was an excellent question, Hayden."

The blue-eyed Omega directed his gaze to the rest of the kids, who had focused expressions on their faces. "Dancing is all about conveying emotion. You need to tell a story with your movements and the expression on your face."

"What if we can't think of one?" Mary Jane blurted out, looking upset. "Mummy only lets me listen to music at church!"

Louis's eyes widened. Who the fuck doesn't let their kids listen to music? "We can find a song together if you want. I know a lot of songs."

Mary Jane nodded eagerly. "Yes, please!"

"Any more questions?" Louis looked at each of the kids, who shook their heads. "Cool! So your homework for tonight is to find your song and show it to me tomorrow!"

Louis got to his feet, watching fondly as all six of the children took off for their cubbies. It was early release today, so there were probably a lot of parents waiting outside. 

Before the blue-eyed Omega could take a step, though, he felt a soft tug on his skirt.

Louis looked down at Atticus with concern. "What is it, bud? You look upset."

Atticus was clinging to Louis's leg, a pout on his lips and a sad look in his brown eyes. He didn't respond to the omega, focusing on the pattern of the skirt in his fingers.

"Atticus?" Louis gently touched the small alpha's shoulder, earning a small whine. "What is it? You have to tell me what's wrong so I can fix it."

Atticus finally looked up, his bottom lip jutting out. "I-I don't wanna go home..."

Oh.

Well, shit.

"Why not?" Louis bent his knees, kneeling next to the small pup so he could study his features. "It's not too fun to be here when class is over, I promise you. It's just gonna be me cleaning."

Atticus tightened his grip on Louis's skirt. "Daddy said we have to clean the house tonight and I don't wanna...It's so boring!"

Louis chuckled, his pretty blue eyes crinkling as he grinned. "Is that why? But cleaning can be so much fun!"

"How?" Atticus sounded like he didn't believe the omega.

The blue-eyed Omega pursed his lips, cocking his head to the side. "Have you tried playing music while you clean? That's what I do, and it's pretty fun."

Atticus wrinkled his nose. "Music?"

"You've never danced while cleaning?" Louis booped Atticus's button nose, earning a small giggle. "I'll have to show you sometime."

Louis straightened his back, looking around and locking eyes with a familiar pair of green ones. Marcel had already grabbed Atticus's things and was watching the interaction with a fond expression on his face.

The blue-eyed omega blushed.

Of course, he was watching...

Before Louis could lead Atticus in his father's direction, however, the small alpha let out a loud gasp and yanked on the omega's red skirt. "What if you come over and help us? Uncle Niall can come over too!"

"I-" Louis froze, not sure if he heard that right.

Marcel, ever the gentleman, swooped in with a panicked look on his face. "I'm sure that Louis has a lot of things to do today, bub. And we have lunch with grandma today, remember?"

Atticus let out a small growl when Marcel tried to detach him from Louis's leg, earning shocked looks from both adults. "I don't wanna go! I want Lou!"

"Atticus James Styles." Marcel's voice was threateningly low, his green eyes flashing a dim gold. "You do not growl at me."

Goosebumps rose on Louis's skin.

Not now, dammit.

Atticus growled again, his face red as he glared at Marcel. "I don't wanna leave Lou!"

Louis is literally caught between a mini alpha and a full-grown one that looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel. ''A-Atticus, I'll be fine. I don't need protection."

"Yes, you do!" Atticus whined, looking up at the blue-eyed omega. "I'm not leaving!"

Marcel growled again, making Louis's golden skin tingle again. "I will put you in a time-out, Atticus. You know I will."

Atticus's brown eyes filled with tears as he shook his head, his face red as he settled into a full-blown tantrum. He wasn't hurting Louis, not even close, but he looked like he wanted to hurt Marcel.

Louis silently cursed any of the gods that were probably laughing at him.

"Atticus," Louis murmured, gently wrapping his hands around the pup's arms. Marcel's golden eyes flickered to him, full of an emotion the omega couldn't quite read. "Darling, please look at me."

Atticus sniffled, still struggling but watching Louis through his tears.

Louis wiped away the boy's tears, tucking one of his soft curls behind his ear. "If you want me to come over, I need you to calm down. It's not very nice to growl at people, Atticus."

The small pup hiccupped, no longer struggling against the blue-eyed omega.

"There we go." Louis sympathetically looked at Marcel. "I didn't think that this would happen when we were talking. I'm so-"

Marcel cut him off, clear amazement in his eyes. "How did you do that? He never calms down that fast for me."

"I-I released some of my pheromones." Louis looked away, a faint blush on his cheeks. "Have you never seen that before?"

"I didn't even notice."

Louis looked back at Atticus, who was already rubbing his eyes. It's a sure sign that the omega pheromones were working. "I know that you're tired Atticus, but I need you to do something for me."

Atticus sleepily nodded.

"Can you apologize for throwing your tantrum?" Louis spoke softly, noticing Marcel's head snap up out of the corner of his eye. "There are much better ways of communicating instead of screaming. It wasn't very nice when you yelled at your father."

The pup frowned clear guilt on his features. With a small pout, Atticus shuffled forward and wrapped his arms around Marcel's leg. "M' sorry, Poppa. I jus' want to keep Lou safe."

"I accept your apology, bub." Marcel bent down and picked the small pup off of the floor, rubbing comforting circles on his back. "You're taking a nap when we get home."

Louis nodded. "He's gonna have to sleep it off."

"Thank you, Louis," Marcel said earnestly, making the omega start to blush for the millionth time today. "It's nice to know he's in good hands when he's with you."

Louis smiled, looking away from the alpha's intense gaze. "Let me grab my things, then we can leave. Niall is out with Zayn today, so I have to lock up the studio."

"Wait, what?" Marcel looked hopelessly confused. "I-I thought you just said that so he'd calm down...You don't have to-"

Louis shrugged. "It's not like I have anything better to do. And besides, lying to kids is on the long list of things I told myself I'd never do."

"Are you sure?" Marcel just wanted to clarify. 

The blue-eyed Omega nodded, already taking a few steps from the green-eyed alpha. As he gathered his things, he could feel Marcel watching him. It gave him butterflies, and he doesn't even know why.

Louis has experienced a lot of staring in his life, but nobody has stared at him the way that Marcel was looking at him now.

It wasn't hungry...

Or fond.

Louis couldn't quite place it.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Louis murmured, his back to the alpha (who had a knocked out toddler in his arms) that made him feel butterflies. 

"Because you're breathtaking."

*****


	12. To Be Seen With You

"The real substance is at the bottom of the sea. That's where the mystery unfolds. The deepest part of your heart is like the deepest part of the ocean, and when someone is brave enough to go there, it's worth sharing the treasures buried deep within."  
― Niedria Dionne Kenny

L O U I S

Louis flushed a bright red, his heart in his throat as he looked down at his bare feet. He's mentally cursing at himself for getting flustered, but he can't help it.

Nobody's ever called him breathtaking before.

"I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable," Marcel murmured, sounding like he was a bit guilty. "I've just never seen somebody as beautiful as you."

Louis looked back, his sapphire-like blues locking with Marcel's green ones. "You're apologizing for complimenting me? That's a first."

Marcel used his free hand to scratch at the back of his neck, a faint blush on his skin. "I'm normally better at sticking to boundaries. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Don't be sorry for things you can't control, Mr. Styles." Louis slipped soft gray flats over his feet, finally turning to face the flustered alpha. His heart fluttered in his chest as his baby blues settled on Atticus, who was snoring softly into Marcel's shoulder.

Marcel wrinkled his nose at the professional phrase. "Please call me Marcel. Mr. Styles makes me feel old."

Louis chuckled, the light sound-making Marcel visibly brighten. "Aren't you thirsty? I could've sworn that Niall mentioned something about you guys celebrating your thirtieth birthday."

"Of course he did." Marcel rolled his eyes. "I'm actually twenty-seven."

Louis pursed his lips, gently reaching forward to brush a stray curl out of Atticus's face. "Well, that makes me feel like a child."

Marcel gulped at the omega's proximity. "W-what do you mean?"

"I'm only twenty-two."

*****

M A R C E L

As Louis locked up the studio, Marcel wrestled the small four-year-old into his car seat. Whenever Atticus is asleep on someone, he literally never lets them go. He's incredibly clingy when it comes to sleeping.

"P-Poppa?" Atticus yawned, rubbing his eyes. 

Marcel mentally cursed. 

Shit.

Atticus's brown eyes blinked open, revealing how exhausted he really was. As he took in his surroundings, he shot straight up. "Where's Lou? I didn't say bye!"

"Louis is gonna ride with us to the house," Marcel murmured, quickly buckling the toddler into the dark green seat. "I'm going to have to reschedule lunch with grandma, though."

Atticus's brown eyes lit up. "Lou is coming home with us!?"

Marcel nodded fondly. "He told you that he would. Why do you want him to come over so badly? You never want Niall to come over..."

"I-" Atticus turned red, looking at his hands. "L-Lou has three bands on his arm...."

Marcel's eyebrows furrowed, a confused look on his features. "What does that have to do with him coming over, bub? I don't understand."

Atticus hid his face in his hands, a small whine escaping his lips. "I don't wanna say it."

"I'm not gonna laugh at you, bub," Marcel spoke gently, an unfamiliar feeling in his chest. "I just wanna know what you're thinking."

Atticus pulled his hands from his face, which was still flushed with embarrassment. "I think Lou might be your soul....soulmate?"

Fuck.

What was Marcel supposed to say?

"What makes you say that?"

Answer his question with a question, Marcel. Basic evasive maneuvers for these kinds of situations. Especially with a kid as special as Atticus.

"He knew about Atticus Finch!" Atticus said brightly, obviously feeling better now that Marcel hadn't laughed at him. "And he's super pretty and nice, which Daddy said that your soulmate will have!"

Marcel's heart melted at how excited Atticus looked when he talked about Louis. Harry always told the young pup that he couldn't have a mum until they found their soulmate, which eventually led Atticus to ask about it.

But that was a year ago.

Before Marcel could respond, his senses were greeted by the familiar smell of wildflowers and warm vanilla. "We can talk about this later, okay? I'm sure that Louis is ready to leave."

"Hiya Lou!" Atticus chirped, waving eagerly at someone who was standing behind Marcel. "Poppa said that you're coming home with us!"

L O U I S

Louis smiles warmly at the small pup, guilt coursing through his veins.

He had eavesdropped on them.

He didn't mean to, it just sort of happened. As soon as he heard Atticus mention soulmates, he couldn't help but listen. Louis wanted to know if the triplets had told him or not.

But Atticus is way smarter than Louis ever gave him credit for.

"That was a short nap, Atticus." Louis approached the pair, his arm brushing against Marcel's shoulder as he touched the pup's forehead. "You should probably sleep some more."

Marcel visibly stiffened, almost as if he hadn't expected Louis to get this close to him.

Atticus nodded at Louis's words, leaning into Omega's touch and closing his eyes. "Okay, Lou. Will you be here when I wake up?"

"Of course."

*****

Louis shouldn't feel this comfortable in a stranger's car. He should feel butterflies whenever Marcel looks at him or just chuckles.

It almost feels like he's known Marcel all of his life.

Louis isn't sure how he feels about that.

"Harry is pissed that I canceled lunch," Marcel mumbled, his eyes flickering to his watch as a message chimed through. "I didn't tell him that you're coming because then he'd really kill me."

Louis raised an eyebrow at that, cocking his head to the side. "Why would he kill you?"

Marcel shivered, probably imagining whatever horror Harry probably had in store for him. "Harry hates it when I invite people over without giving him a heads up. He's a clean freak, so I didn't want him freaking himself out too bad."

"I had a maid growing up," Louis murmured, looking out the window thoughtfully. "She absolutely hated it when I didn't pick up my toys. I was a brat."

Marcel chuckled, keeping his eyes glued to the road. "I tried to hire a nanny once, for Atticus, and she was going to clean stuff as well. But Harry freaked out and said that he didn't trust her with cleaning things the proper way."

"There's a proper way to clean?"

The alpha sighed, nodding to himself. "I should probably let you know that Harry only uses organic cleaning products. He has issues with harsh chemicals, especially with Atticus's asthma."

"I thought that the hippie clothes were just for show." Louis snickered, playing with his skirt. "He definitely seems like the type."

"You have no idea."

Louis hates how easy this conversation is flowing. He wants awkward silence so he can say that he and Marcel don't mix.

So he can give himself reasons to say no.

"Harry and Edward want to meet at a restaurant nearby," Marcel murmured, snapping Louis out of his daze. "You can say no if you want."

Louis shrugs, smiling brightly at Marcel. "I'm a bit hungry...I didn't really have much breakfast."

"It's not anything fancy, I promise," Marcel reassured the blue-eyed omega, sounding a bit nervous. "Are you sure that you wanna be seen with us? Harry attracts a certain....crowd."

Louis freezes, internally panicking.

His bastard father probably still thinks that he's in Paris, snorting another line of cocaine. Being seen in London would only give his father a reason to find him and use him in a way he doesn't want.

But he's not a child anymore.

"It's fine." Louis kept his voice confident, not wanting Marcel to hear how weak he felt. "I grew up in the spotlight, so don't worry about it. Are you sure that you want to be seen with me?"

Marcel looked at the omega, something unfamiliar flashing in his green eyes. "I'd consider it a privilege to be seen with you."

*****


	13. I Do Adore

"A bird is safe in its nest - but that is not what its wings are made for."  
― Amit Ray

L O U I S

They parked in front of a small café. 

It looked slightly crowded, and Louis isn't sure how he feels about that. Maybe it's always this crowded, despite the obvious group of girls that were crowded near the front.

"It's a private café, Louis."

Louis snapped out of his daze, looking over at Marcel with wide blue eyes. The alpha was studying him, his green eyes scanning every inch of his skin. "There's a lot of people..."

Marcel's eyes never left the anxious Omega. "That's just the front. Atticus really likes the mac and cheese here, so Edward bought the whole building out."

The blue-eyed omega froze.

They bought it?

For Atticus?

"Right..." Louis cleared his throat, finally looking away from Marcel. He felt slightly flustered, which was incredibly stupid considering that the alpha hadn't said much. "How are we getting through the crowd?"

A hurt expression flashed over Marcel's features for a brief second, before turning serious again. He looked at his phone, typing a few things on the screen. "Harry's sending out a few guards. Are you sure you want to be here?"

Louis licked his lips, looking back at Marcel again. "I'll be fine. Besides, if Atticus wakes up and I'm gone, there's no telling how big his tantrum will get."

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

He hates how his heart flutters at those simple words.

Louis smiled softly, unbuckling his seatbelt. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be, you idiot. Would you rather drive me home?"

Marcel flushed red. "O-of course not!"

"Then stop trying to change my mind."

***

The two guards finally walked out of the café, looking pretty terrifying in their matching suits. They were clearly both alphas, with dark sunglasses over their eyes. At the sight of them, the crowd immediately dissipated.

Before Marcel could get out and open the door for the omega, Louis opened it himself. He doesn't need another reason to be fond of him.

"Come, mon petit oiseau," Louis murmured, gently unbuckling Atticus from his car seat. "Can you wake up for me?"

Atticus stirred, his curls sticking to his forehead and a soft yawn escaping his lips. His brown eyes fluttered open, visibly brightening at the sight of his favorite omega. "L-Lou?"

"Good morning, petit oiseau." Louis smiled at the sleepy pup.

The small pup's eyebrows immediately furrowed, looking so much like all three of his fathers. "What does that mean?"

"Little bird," Louis answered, not even noticing Marcel appear behind him.

Atticus cocked his head, rubbing his eyes. "But m' not a bird, Lou."

Louis chuckled, fixing the small boy's curls. "My mother called me little bird when I was about your age. You gave me a nickname, so I gave you one of my own."

"Oh..." Atticus yawned again, his brown eyes flickering to a figure behind Louis. "Poppa! Where are we?"

Louis jumped out of his skin when a large hand rested on his shoulder. It was just a friendly touch, but it affected the omega way more than it should have. It sent chills down his spine, small goosebumps dotting his golden skin.

Marcel gently stepped in front of Louis, lifting the small pup out of the car. "We're at the café, bub. We're eating lunch with Baba and Daddy."

Atticus visibly brightened, his brown eyes searching the area around them. "Really? And Lou is eating with us?"

Louis pushed his feelings away, choosing to just smile instead. "I am. Your Poppa told me that this place has some pretty good mac and cheese."

Atticus cheered as Marcel placed the small boy on his hip. Louis smiled fondly despite himself. Seeing the green-eyed alpha interact with his son was heartwarming and made the blue-eyed feel a warmth in his chest that he hadn't felt in years.

What would his mother think if she saw him right now?

Would she be proud?

Or would she smack the back of his head and call him an idiot for pushing all three of the alphas away?

Probably the second one.

"Poppa?"

Louis snapped out of his daze, looking at Atticus in confusion. The small alpha was tapping on Marcel's shoulder, his brown eyes focused on the omega and a small pout on his lips.

Marcel looked equally confused. "Yeah?"

Atticus kept tapping as he spoke his next words. "Can I walk with Lou?"

****

H A R R Y

"I'm gonna kill him."

Edward, who was typing away on his expensive laptop, looked up at Harry's words. "Why? You didn't even want to have lunch with mum today, Harry."

Harry crossed his arms and leaned on the table with a grumpy expression on his features. "He got to sit in on the class today, Eddy. Marcel got to see Louis, while we got stuck with working!"

The eldest triplet rolled his eyes taking a sip of his decaf coffee. "Stop being a jealous prat, you idiot. Louis probably didn't even talk to him."

The fact that Marcel got to see their pretty soulmate today filled Harry with the worst kind of jealousy. It just isn't fair that he had to go to work while his little brother probably flirted with Louis!

What if Harry wanted to flirt?

He can't because his stupid manager decided that Harry needed to do a fucking interview instead!

Why can't fate be on his side?

Harry sighed, taking a small sip of his fruit smoothie. As he did so, the door to the café opened with a small jingle, and the very recognizable scent of wildflowers filled the air.

Harry froze, looking up and locking eyes with a very familiar pair of blue ones.

Louis Tomlinson stood by the door, fondly laughing at Atticus. The small pup had a grip on his skirt and a faint flush on his cheeks as he giggled. The sight was overwhelmingly adorable, filling Harry with excited butterflies.

"Edward."

The eldest triplet didn't look up from his computer, looking vaguely annoyed. "I'm not falling for that again, Harry. I'm not looking at another cat video."

"Louis's here, you idiot," Harry mumbled, his heart in his throat.

Edward's head snapped up, a look of surprise on his features. "What the hell is he doing here? Marcel didn't say anything-"

Before he could finish, however, a very embarrassed Marcel appeared behind the blue-eyed omega.

He had a few leaves stuck to his shirt, his usually neat hair an absolute mess, and his glasses in hand. It looked like he had tripped on the way in, probably falling in the bushes outside.

Harry grinned at the thought.

Karma.

Atticus finally stopped laughing, looking at Harry and Edward. He let out a cheer, bolting for their usual table. "Daddy! Baba!"

Harry easily caught the small pup, hugging him tightly. "Hey, bud. Did you have fun in class?"

"I did it!" Atticus's brown eyes were abnormally bright, which was unusual for this time of day. "Lou taught us how to do the splits! It was really hard for me, but Lou said that I could probably learn with practice!"

Harry placed Atticus on the ground, watching with fond eyes as he hugged Edward as well. "Oh really? Did anything else happen?"

Atticus's speech therapist said that they should ask him questions about his day, getting him to talk and use his words instead of sounds. It worked for the most part, but there were a few days that the small boy wouldn't want to talk.

It's incredibly unusual to see Atticus this awake around this time of day. Usually, he's incredibly tired after class.

Not today, though.

The sweet smell of wildflowers grew stronger, making Harry look up from the sweet interaction. Louis was fondly watching the interaction as well, completely oblivious to the alpha's stare.

How could someone be that beautiful?

His pretty blue eyes were soft as they watched Atticus, a fond smile on his lips. He was wearing a gray sweater that was three times too big for him, accenting his red skirt nicely.

Everything about Louis is completely mind-blowing.

How can he exist?

"Lou, come to say hi!"

The small omega allowed Atticus to drag him forward, a faint blush on his cheeks as he looked at Harry and Edward. "H-hi."

He's so cute!

"I didn't know that you were coming," Edward spoke softly when harry didn't say anything.

How could he?

Louis smiled awkwardly, anxiously playing with his sweater sleeves. "Atticus had some issues when it was time to leave, so I came along. But I can leave-"

"No!" Harry blurted out, panicking at the idea of Louis leaving. "I-I mean, it's okay if you want to stay. Atticus seems to like you."

Atticus grinned brightly, nodding in agreement. "Please stay, Lou?"

The omega's pretty blue eyes flickered to Harry's eyes for a split second before looking at Atticus again. "Of course, petit oiseau."

Edward and Harry shared a glance.

What did he just say?

Harry decided to ask first, shifting aside so Marcel could sit down and fix his shirt. He should probably ask about that later... "What did you just call him?"

"Oh, uh..." Louis blushed a rosy pink. "I called him 'little bird' in French. My mother used to call me that when I was younger."

Harry internally grinned.

While he was internally freaking out, Edward cleared his throat. "And he lets you call him that? He freaks out if anybody besides us calls him a nickname."

"He didn't seem upset by it."

Atticus nodded, clinging to Louis's leg again. The way he clings to the omega's pretty skirt gave Harry a strange sense of deja vu. "I like it, baba! It's pretty, just like Lou!"

Yeah, the affectionate words sounded like pure heaven coming from Louis's lips. Harry would pay every penny he had to hear the blue-eyed Omega speak French every day. His accent was probably incredibly thick in the morning, which honestly sounded incredibly inviting.

Harry adores everything about this shy omega, even though Louis probably isn't interested. Seeing Atticus obsess over him was also a plus.

Even if nothing happens between them, Harry is sure that Louis will still be there for Atticus.

****


	14. Worth Your Time

"The art of conversation is the art of hearing as well as of being heard."

― William Hazlitt

― William Hazlitt   
L O U I S

"I didn't know that omegas could do that..."

Louis blushed slightly, looking at his hands. "It's just a small trick that my mother taught me. It only works on small children, but it helps during tantrums."

The blue-eyed Omega was seated between Edward and Atticus, who was seated in a raised booster seat. Marcel explained the whole tantrum that happened earlier, not leaving out any details.

Edward and Harry were looking at Louis in amazement.

"I just can't believe that he growled at you." Harry snickered, taking a sip of his smoothie.

Marcel rolled his eyes. "Neither can I."

Louis felt a soft pull on his right hand, looking at the small pup with concerned eyes. "What's wrong, petit oiseau?"

Atticus's eyes were bright, the small pup sipping on his orange juice with an eager smile. "I like your necklace, Lou! What is it?"

"It's-" Louis stopped for a second, reaching to grasp the familiar silver chain. "It's a paper airplane. It was a gift from my mum during my first performance."

The necklace itself was slightly tarnished and well-worn. The airplane itself was small, nearly the size of the tip of Louis's thumb. It signified his ability to take flight and pursue his freedom.

How ironic.

"It's pretty!" Atticus whispered in a hushed tone, his brown eyes never leaving the simple chain. Then his eyes furrowed, his expression becoming serious. "What happened to your mummy, Lou?"

Oh.

How is he supposed to respond?

"You don't have to tell him if you don't want to," Edward whispered, giving the omega a sympathetic glance.

Louis blinked, looking around the table.

All three of the triplets had been watching the interaction, which honestly made Louis feel embarrassed. They were probably so confused with why he adores Atticus so much.

They probably think he's crazy.

After all, Louis only met Atticus a few days ago!

Louis swallowed his anxiety, keeping his gaze softened as he looked at Atticus. "My mother died in a car accident. She's in a much better place, though. I'm sure she's happy."

"Do you miss her?"

The blue-eyed Omega smiled, his throat suddenly tight with emotion. "I miss her very much, Atticus. She was my best friend."

Atticus nodded, obviously not noticing the sadness that was radiating off of Louis. "Well, I can be your best friend! So can Daddy, Poppa, and Baba!"

Louis smiled, reaching forward to fix the boy's wild curls. "I'd like that very much, Atticus. Thank you for being my friend."

When he looked away from the small toddler, Louis noticed the way that all three of the alphas were staring at him. Marcel looked sympathetic, Harry looked fond, and Edward looked slightly embarrassed.

All the attention made Louis blush.

"I'm sorry that he asked you about that," Edward murmured, his green eyes serious as he looked at the omega. "He's not usually this nosy."

Louis chuckled, shrugging. "Don't apologize. He would have asked eventually."

"Still, I'm so-"

The blue-eyed Omega gave him a look, effectively silencing him. "You three really like to apologize for things out of your control. He's a kid, so he's bound to be curious."

Edward flushed a soft pink, looking away from Louis's pretty blue eyes. "I just don't want you to feel pressured to talk to us because of Atticus. That wouldn't be fair to anybody."

Harry nodded in agreement. "This whole soulmate thing is important to us, but we want you to be comfortable."

"I appreciate that," Louis smiled softly, taking a sip of his tea. "But if you really believe in Fate, I think that Atticus is the main reason that we even met. Without him, would you have ever gone to the studio?"

The air around them was suddenly silent as all three of the alphas processed that small bit of information. it was painfully clear that they hadn't thought of that.

Marcel spoke first. "So you're saying that Atticus is the main point in all of this? That our son is the reason we even met?"

"I'm honestly surprised that none of you realized that," Louis murmured, raising an eyebrow. "Since you believe in Fate, do you really think that it's a coincidence that Atticus likes me so much?"

Harry blinked, obviously still processing. "I just figured that it was because you're pretty and you smell really good."

"Same."

"That's what I thought."

Louis suddenly started to laugh, a bright sound that made all three of the triplets look at him in awe. It was such a beautiful sound, and it made them start to chuckle too.

Atticus started to giggle as well, although he had no idea what was going on. He had been busy coloring a picture for the omega when everybody started laughing. "Why are we laughing?"

Louis grinned, taking a sip of his tea. "We're just being silly, petit oiseau."

"Oh." Atticus looked confused for a split second before grinning. "I like your laugh, Lou! You should laugh more!"

The blue-eyed Omega blushed despite himself. 

Marcel nodded in agreement, ruffling Atticus's curls between his fingers. "I agree. I think he should definitely laugh more."

"He should smile, too," Harry murmured, smirking at Louis's embarrassed expression. "He has a really nice smile. Absolutely adorable."

Why does Louis feel so warm?

With every compliment he received from these three idiots, his heart flutters in the best kind of way. No matter how hard he's trying not to, his body is betraying him and making him feel affection for each of them.

Louis hasn't laughed like this in years.

"He's red!" Atticus shrieked, giggling loudly as Louis hid his face with his sleeves. "Did you eat something spicy, Lou? Poppa says that milk always helps!"

Louis looked at the small pup, still hiding his red cheeks. "Oh really? I only like strawberry milk, petit oiseau."

"I like berry milk, too!"

Unbeknownst to him, all three of the triplets were looking at the interaction with adoration in their eyes. This is the most that they've seen Atticus interact with anyone, besides themselves. Louis is literally the definition of perfection when it comes to the ideal mother for their son.

But they don't want to get ahead of themselves.

Louis looked away from the pup as Atticus started coloring again. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?"

Edward immediately shook his head, mirroring his fellow triplets. "I just think it's odd that we're even worth your time, love."

Love.

Stupid fucking butterflies.

"What do you mean?" Louis murmured, looking away from Edward with a soft blush on his cheeks. He wants to hide his face out of pure embarrassment.

Edward shrugged, looking at his fellow triplets. "You're the prettiest thing in the room, so I'm just wondering what you're doing talking to us."

"Well, obviously I'm here to steal Atticus away." Louis teased, shyly biting his lip.

Why does he feel so shy?

Marcel chuckled as well. "I'm pretty sure that he wouldn't mind. He likes you almost as much as we do., I'm afraid"

"You just met me yesterday." Louis pointed out, his tone light. "How can you like someone you've never met?"

Harry cleared his throat, drinking the rest of his green smoothie. "Actually, that's not entirely true. Sure, we've never spoken to each other, but we knew your mum."

Louis's eyebrows immediately furrowed. "How?"

"Niall's mum used to babysit us," Edward murmured, watching the blue-eyed omega. "We saw your mum a lot, and sometimes she had a little kid holding the back of her skirt."

Small memories flashed through Louis's mind. He couldn't remember seeing three triplets with green eyes and curly hair. All he could remember was a group of girls laughing at him. Then again, the triplets are five years older than he is.

"Your mum yelled at me once." Edward mused, obviously thinking of a memory. "Almost wet my pants, to be honest."

Louis chuckled, hearing his mother's disappointed tone in the back of his mind. "She was quite scary when she wanted to be. What did you do?"

"I accidentally pushed Harry off this balancing beam."

Harry blushed with embarrassment. "You broke my wrist, Eddy! How is that an accident?"

"It's not my fault that you're clumsy." Edward shrugged, making Louis chuckle. "Maybe you shouldn't have been showing off for that group of girls."

"I wasn't showing off!"

Louis couldn't stop smiling as he watched the three alphas interact with each other. They were total idiots but in an attractive way. They had no problems with being themselves, despite being in the public spotlight.

The omega frowned to himself.

Louis's father used him as a way to make money. Whenever he would take the omega for his designated time, it was always training and working. Public interviews and boring etiquette lessons.

He honestly doesn't remember a time where they actually had fun.

Louis's mother couldn't do much about it, considering that the judge wouldn't listen to anything she said during custody hearings. The omega had to spend every other week with his father, despite the emotional abuse.

He always told Louis that he needed to lose wait for a certain performance, so he would only let the omega eat jello and soup.

After his mother's death, Louis's father immediately took control of her finances. He sent every single kid she ever adopted back into government custody and controlled Louis's every move.

Every performance.

Every training session.

Everything.

Why is it that Louis struggles to be himself due to the constant public eye on him, but the triplets can be themselves?

It doesn't make sense to him.

"Excuse me," Louis murmured, plastering a fake smile on his face and getting to his feet. "I have to head to the restroom. I'll be back in a moment."

Louis left the table, wincing as Atticus started to fuss. He had to calm himself down, and he couldn't do that in front of the small pup.

The Omegan bathroom looked relatively clean and smelled of fake flowers. Much to Louis's dismay, though, he wasn't alone. Two well-dressed omegas had followed him inside. 

They looked relatively young.

Louis ignored their presence, going to the sink to splash water on his face. He needs to calm down before he freaks himself out. He can't have anyone seeing him fall apart.

"Are you dating Harry Styles?"

The blue-eyed omega froze, looking at one of the teenagers through the mirror. "Excuse me?"

The coffee-skinned girl blinked her phone in her hands. "It looks like a date to me. You were touching his son as you knew him, so I just assumed-"

"I don't think that it's any of your business," Louis murmured stiffly, drying his hands. "Now if you'll excuse me-"

Before he could finish, one of the girls surged forward and grabbed his arm. The one where he had his bracelets well hidden. "Show me your bracelet!"

Louis tried to pull his hand away, but they successfully yanked his sleeve down.

"You have three bracelets..." The second girl spat, pulling out her phone. "What a slut."

The blue-eyed Omega growled, successfully yanking his hand away as both girls took a picture. "Don't touch me! That's private and you know it!"

"You know, you look familiar." The first girl mused, pocketing her phone. She turned towards her friend with a smirk on her lips. "Where have I seen that necklace before, Lana?"

Louis froze, his heart thundering in his ears.

What the hell is going on?

What if they recognize him?

The second girl let out a gasp, her eyes wide. "He's Louis Tomlinson! You know, that ballerina who was seen with-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Louis growled, clenching his fists? "Get the fuck out of here before I call security. I'm sure that they won't be too kind to two girls that just assaulted me."

The confident look on their faces immediately crumbled.

Louis took a threatening step forward. "Leave. Now."

Both of them flinched and ran out of the door. As soon as it closed, Louis shakily ran his fingers through his hair and sat on the floor. Both of those omegas had his picture and a few of his bracelets. There's no telling how quickly the media will find out where he is.

How could he be so stupid?

"L-Lou?"

Louis looked up, locking eyes with Atticus.

The small pup stood in the doorway, looking very concerned for his favorite omega. His curls were sticking up in every direction and he had a bit of orange juice on his lip. "Are you okay? Daddy said that you looked sad."

"I-" Louis couldn't finish. "Did you come here by yourself?"

Atticus shook his head, rushing forward to attach himself to Louis's shirt. "Daddy is waiting outside. He said that he can't come into an omega bathroom."

Louis sighed in relief, cuddling the small pup to his chest.

The idea of Atticus following Louis by himself filled the omega with fear. What if those two girls had seen him on their way out? What if they had hurt him?

"Daddy!" Atticus suddenly shrieked his brown eyes on Louis's arm. "Lou's hurt!"

Louis's eyebrows furrowed, his blue eyes looking at his arm. Sure enough, three finger-sized bruises dotted his wrist, looking dark against his soft skin.

Did she really grab me that hard?

"What?" 

Harry appeared, nearly bursting through the door. His green eyes scanned Louis, zeroing in on his arm. Anger flashed in his eyes as he knelt in front of the omega.

"I'm fine," Louis murmured, his voice sounding a bit rough. "A girl was just upset and grabbed my arm. She saw my bracelets and took a picture."

Harry didn't respond, gently touching Louis's wrist.

Atticus growled at his father, but Harry didn't seem too bothered by it. "H-he's hurt, Daddy."

"I'm fine, petit oiseau," Louis spoke softly, using his other hand to gently rub the small boy's back. "It's just a bruise. I'll ice it when I get home and it'll be all better by tomorrow."

Harry released the omega's arm, his jaw clenched. "Where did she go, Louis?"

Louis's inner omega faltered at the obvious show of dominance. "I told them to leave, Harry. It's not anything I'm not used to."

"Them?"

Louis sighed, rubbing his face. "There were two of them. They were upset that I was eating lunch with you and grabbed my arm. Nothing happened."

"I wouldn't call that nothing, Louis," Harry growled, looking absolutely furious. "Only a few people are allowed in. They have to make reservations and I have to clear them, so how did two unknown girls get in?"

Louis shrugged, resting his chin on Atticus's shoulder. "I don't know. But it's not a big deal, Harry. I'm not seriously injured."

Harry scoffed, looking at the small toddler instead. "Atticus, can you let Louis go for a second?"

"H-he's hurt!" Atticus protested, sounding like he was about to cry. "I-I have to p-p-protect him from the bad guys!"

The alpha's gaze softened immediately. "I'll protect him, bud. I promise."

Atticus sniffled, finally releasing Louis's shirt. "C-can we go home?"

"Of course," Harry spoke gently, his green eyes looking at Louis. "Do you need a ride home?"

Louis nodded, getting to his feet. "I need to finish some paperwork and Niall is expecting me to cook dinner tonight."

Harry easily lifted Atticus onto his hip, protectively grabbing Louis's hand. The omega blushed at the show of affection, really liking the way that his hands fit in Harry's. "Come on, then. I'll have Edward take you home."

***


	15. We All Fall Down

"I'm not hiding. I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve. Everything anyone wants to know about me is right in front of their faces. Most just don't bother to look."  
― Teresa Mummert

L O U I S

"Louis William Tomlinson!"

The blue-eyed Omega, who had previously been asleep, let out a choked grunt as a heavy weight landed on his back. The familiar smell of coffee greeted his senses as he shoved Niall off of his tired body.

"What the fuck?' Louis cursed, his voice thick with sleep. His blue eyes flickered to his phone, which was charging on his nightstand. "It's four am!"

Niall, who looked like he had just woken up himself, had his phone in his hand. "You went on a date with the triplets?!"

Louis blinked, still not processing his friend's words. "What?"

"You went on a date after class and you didn't tell me!"

The exhausted omega suddenly felt wide awake.

Date?

How does Niall even know?

"How do you know about that?" Louis murmured, tiredly rubbing his eyes. "And it wasn't a date. It was just lunch, Niall."

Niall scoffed, shoving his own phone in Louis's direction. "Whatever you say. But someone got pictures of you having 'lunch' with the triplets and Atticus yesterday. Harry's fans are absolutely losing their minds."

"What?"

Louis's heart was in his throat as he looked down at Niall's phone.

Harry Styles' Soulmate?

Harry, Edward and Marcel Styles were spotted on a lunch date with an unknown omega later confirmed to be Louis Tomlinson, biological son of the late Johannah Deakin. According to many eyewitness testimonies, the cute lunch date also had something to do with the triplet's son.

What is Louis Tomlinson doing in London?

After his mother's sudden death two years ago, Tomlinson vanished from the public eye and seemed to not want anything to do with his family.

As one of the richest omegas of the decade, Tomlinson's soulmate bracelets have been a very private matter. Many fans speculated that he didn't have one, but we have a very convincing confirmation.

Two fans of Harry Styles, who have requested to remain anonymous, interacted with Tomlinson in the bathroom of Styles' private restaurant.

They managed to get a picture of Tomlinson's arm, revealing three black bracelets on his wrist!

That's right, folks.

THREE.

Coincidentally, all three of the triplets have spoken about sharing a single omega soulmate (despite having their son through a one night stand).

Is Louis Tomlinson their soulmate?

If so, what does this mean for Tomlinson's inheritance (roughly around 3 Billion) and his career? And what does this mean for Harry Styles, a known womanizer and flirt?

Only time will tell, dear fans.

"Fuck."

Louis couldn't breathe, his chest tight with panic. Niall's upset expression quickly softened to one of concern for his best friend. It was painfully clear to both of them that, because of this article and many more, Louis's father knew where he was.

"I'm so sorry, Lou." Niall spoke softly, wanting to hug his friend but he knew it would only make Louis's anxiety worse. "Maybe he doesn't use social media?"

Louis felt hot tears prick his pretty blue eyes. "He does because of my step-sisters. What am I going to do, Niall?"

Niall looked incredibly sympathetic. "Tell the triplets, maybe? They're your soulmates, Louis. It's their job to protect you."

"I can't do that." Louis dismissed the idea, wiping away his tears. "That would put Atticus in danger, Niall. I'm not that selfish."

"You're not selfish at all!' Niall argued, reaching over and snatching Louis's phone from his nightstand. "You're a fucking billionaire, but you're teaching at a run-down ballet studio! You're one of the most talented people I know, but you're settling for the bare minimum!"

"I don't have access to my money, Niall."

Niall scoffed, typing in Louis's password. "You're her only child, Louis. You're entitled to that money way more than that abusive bastard!"

Louis pulled his knees to his chest, small memories of his mother flashing through his brain. "I can't do that. I can't go back after two years and look at that empty house, Niall. I let him put all those kids back in the system and did nothing!"

"That's not your fault."

The blue-eyed Omega blinked, a single tear falling down his cheek. "Isn't it? She was only in the car because of me, Niall! If I hadn't snuck out, none of this would have happened!"

A heavy silence blanketed the room.

The blue-eyed omega hadn't spoke about any of the memories that surrounded his mother's death. It was sudden and painful, so it was much easier to avoid it all together.

Niall's blue eyes were incredibly soft as he studied his best friend, who was silently crying with his legs curled into his chest. His eyes flickered to the phone in his hands, where he had already sent a text to Edward (who is the only triplet that would be awake).

Lou: Can you come pick me up?

Lou: We need to talk.

Read

Eddy: Sure love

Eddy: What's wrong?

"Come on, Lou." Niall murmured gently, pulling on Louis's arm. "Eddy's gonna come pick you up. I want you to take a shower, okay?'

Louis sniffled, his blue eyes sparkling with tears. "W-what about my class? I c-can't-"

"I'll take care of it." 

*****

E D W A R D

Eddy: What's wrong?

Sent

Edward placed his phone on the kitchen counter, his heart thudding in his ears as fresh anxiety coiled in his chest like an angry rattlesnake. What's wrong with Louis?

Is he okay?

When Harry told (well, texted) him about yesterday's events, Edward was filled with fury. He had just dropped the blue-eyed Omega off at home and couldn't seem to wrap his mind around how unbothered Louis seemed to be.

As soon as Edward came home, Atticus nearly knocked him over with steady tears running down his cheeks.

****

"I'm home-"

Edward let out a grunt as Atticus slammed into him, rubbing his tearstained face against his father's pant leg. The pup's distressed pheromones were heavy in the air, matching the heartbroken looks on Harry and Marcel's faces.

"B-Baba..." Atticus sobbed, his voice hoarse. "L-Lou was h-hurting!"

Edward's heart shattered to pieces as he looked at his upset son. With a faint ache in his chest, the green-eyed alpha easily lifted Atticus off of the ground. "I know, bub. But he's fine, I promise."

"I-is he safe?" Atticus sniffled into Edward's shoulder. "G-gotta protect Lou."

Edward rubbed the pup's back, locking eyes with Marcel, who was leaning against the doorframe. Harry was nowhere in sight, which was odd, considering things. "I made sure that he got home safe, bub."

"O-okay." 

Marcel smiled softly as Atticus's sniffles finally died down. "He's been freaking out since we left the restaurant. Harry wasn't helping much either, considering that he stormed off to your office."

"My office?" Edward repeated, his eyebrows furrowed. "How long has he been in there?"

"About thirty minutes."

***

Edward parked the car in front of the familiar dance studio, his heart in his throat. It was almost unsettling, the way that he felt nervous. But what could Louis want to talk to him about at nearly five in the morning?

DARLING

Edward: I'm here

Seen.

Lou: okay

Edward placed his phone back in its spot, anxiously biting the inside of his cheek. He feels nervous because he's worried; Edward doesn't want Louis to reject them because of what happened yesterday.

He hasn't known the omega for very long, but Edward is already obsessed.

Everything about Louis is absolutely intoxicating. His scent, his smile, and even the way he interacts with Atticus. He's graceful and soft, even when he's trying his best to be the opposite. The blue-eyed Omega tries so hard to be guarded; his mental walls not only keep people out but keep him trapped inside.

And Edward can't wait for those walls to fall down.

****


	16. If I Stay

"Her heart was a secret garden and the walls were very high."  
― William Goldman, The Princess Bride 

"― William Goldman, The Princess Bride   
{MENTAL ABUSE/MANIPULATION}

{CHILD ABUSE -to Louis-}

{Listen to this song plzz}

DANCER X MALI KOA

L O U I S

Louis wrapped the jacket (which resembled more of a shawl, honestly) tighter around his shoulders as he made his way downstairs. He could see Edward's car in the parking lot, which filled him with a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time.

Comfort.

Slipping his flats on his feet, Louis made sure he had his keys and phone before finally walking out the door. The November air bit at his skin, making the small omega wince.

It's cold.

Edward got out of his car, his eyebrows furrowed and green eyes filled with stern disappointment. "Don't you have a coat? It's freezing, little darling."

Little darling?

Louis loves how nice the affectionate name sounds coming from Edward. His skin, which was already red from the cold, flushed a delicate pink from slight embarrassment. "I-It's still packed in my things. S-sorry."

"Let's get you in the car before you freeze," Edward murmured, his green eyes incredibly soft as he placed a reassuring hand on Louis's shoulder. "Come on."

Louis allowed Edward to help him into the car, his cheeks still flushed a rosy pink as the green-eyed alpha gripped his waist and lifted him inside without difficulty. He was obviously worried about him, so Louis didn't say anything.

Seems like everyone is worried about him.

Hell, Louis's worried about himself.

Louis shivers slightly as Edward gets into the car on the other side, the cold air nipping at his skin. He could feel the alpha's green eyes studying him but the omega had no idea what he was going to say.

"What did you wanna talk about?"

Edward's voice didn't sound angry, which surprised the blue-eyed omega. The alpha sounded nervous, and Louis couldn't figure out why. 

Then again, Louis understands.

Whenever he interacts with any of the triplets or Atticus, Louis is terrified of saying something wrong. no matter how much he hates the idea of soulmates, he still deals with constant anxiety. His inner omega wants nothing more than to be with them.

It was infuriating.

"The pictures from yesterday were leaked."

Edward froze, his green eyes immediately hardening as he clenched his jaw. "They were what?"

Louis swallowed, fiddling with his single bracelet. In the scuffle of it all, one of the girls snatched two of the three simple black bracelets off of his wrist. It felt bare without them, which is why he's wearing long-sleeves.

"They sold the photos to a gossip site," Louis murmured, pulling his knees up to his chest out of nervous habit. "They wrote an article about it and everything."

Edward's eyes flickered to Louis's wrist, realization dawning in his angry green eyes. Before the omega could react, the eldest triplet grasped his wrist and pulled it towards him. it was obvious that he was concerned about the bruises and the fact that the bracelets were gone.

"I didn't know they took your bracelets."

Louis feels his heart flutter at Edward's soft touch. "It was only the top two, Edward. I'm just gonna be wearing sweaters until I can order new ones."

"That doesn't make it okay, darling."

Edward ran his thumb across the first words on Louis's wrist, almost as if he was entranced by the delicate pink. It was his phrase, the very first words he ever said to the blue-eyed omega. "You know, I have your bracelet ready."

My what?

"W-what do you mean?" Louis stuttered, his skin flushed and warm. "My bracelet?"

Edward smiled fondly, nodding his head. "I've actually had it finished for years, long before we met. I can give it to you now if you want."

Oh.

Butterflies erupted in Louis's stomach and his face immediately heated up. Exchanging personal bracelets meant the promise of commitment and the idea that this alpha already had his made filled him with nervousness.

Isn't this moving a bit fast?

"You can say no, darling," Edward reassured him kindly, making Louis snap out of his panicked daze. "I want you to be comfortable."

Louis can feel the warm blush on his cheeks and the fluttering in his stomach. Edward wants him to be comfortable, which was so loud. "you do realize that if I let you give me your bracelet, your brothers will get jealous."

"Honestly, I don't care."

Louis snickered, biting his lip. "You don't even know me, Edward. I have so much baggage.......and I don't think I'll be in London for much longer."

Saying those words made Louis's heartache.

Edward immediately frowned. "What? We just met, and you're already leaving?" 

"I-" Louis looked away from Edward, trying not to cry. "It wouldn't be safe for Atticus if I stayed. Everyone knows where I am now, including my father."

"Why wouldn't Atticus be safe?!"

Louis winces at Edward's tone, his heart thundering in his ears. He hates the idea of leaving Atticus behind, but he doesn't want the small pup to be hurt. The whole point of Edward picking him up was to say goodbye and to apologize.

Everything in him wants to stay.

He wants to be with them, but he can't.

"My father isn't a good person, Edward," Louis murmured thickly, looking at his hands. "He doesn't like it when he loses control. Of me, my mum."

Edward blinked wordlessly.

Louis had to keep going, for the sake of explaining things. "After my mum died, he seized control of her will. Because they were soulmates, he got to control everything. He has control over every aspect of my career, Edward."

****

SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO

"Daddy!"

Five-year-old Louis ran down the clean hallways of his home, sliding across the tiles in his bright yellow socks. A few of the beta maids smiled at him, but he was so caught up in the fact that his father was home.

Louis's father stood in the living room, dressed in an expensive suit. He glared at the small boy, his eye twitching slightly. "Where is your mother, and why aren't you training?"

"Daddy!" Louis hugged the alpha's leg tightly, excited to see his father for the first time in months. "Mummy's in the music room with James!"

Troy scoffed, reaching down and gripping Louis by the back of his redshirt. "Of course she is. You're supposed to be training, Louis."

"Mummy said I can play!"

**

"He's supposed to be training, Johannah!"

Jay crossed her arms, glaring at her husband as he shouted angry insults at her. Louis hid behind her, his heart thudding in his ears as he watched his mother and father argue. He wasn't supposed to cry, but they made it hard sometimes.

"He's a child, Troy!" Jay argued, her eyes sharp. "He needs to focus on being a kid, not some kind of guinea pig!"

Troy scoffed, rolling his eyes. "He needs to train to be the best, Johannah. Don't you understand how much money he could make us?"

"Money isn't everything!" Jay's voice was filled with emotion that Louis couldn't quite read. It made his heart hurt, though. "Louis needs to figure out who he is without you forcing him to dance like a circus animal!"

Louis whimpered, bunching his mother's skirt between his fingers and closing his eyes. He hates it when his parents argue, especially about him. 

He hates being the reason that his mother cries.

He wants to make his father proud.

***

His parents divorced five years later.

Louis was forced to spend designated time with both of his parents, despite the obvious abuse from his father. He hated seeing the man but wanted to do everything he could to make him proud.

It was hard, sometimes.

As the curtain closed and loud applause filled the air, ten-year-old Louis slumped to the stage floor out of pure exhaustion.

His feet ached and he could feel the familiar wetness of blood in his pointe shoes. His muscles felt stiff like metal, and he couldn't breathe. Pretty flowers, which had been thrown on stage by the crowd, surrounded the tired omega.

Everything hurts.

"Get him up." Troy barked loudly, directing two burly alphas to get Louis off the floor. "He has a press release in an hour and I need him awake."

Louis whined as firm hands gripped his body and lifted him off of the ground. "I-I d-don't wanna, dad. I'm tired."

"Don't be ridiculous." Troy dismissed, wrinkling his nose as he stepped on a few flowers. "Time is money, son. Don't you want to make me proud?"

Louis wants that more than anything in the world.

\------

"Oh, petit oiseau."

Louis winced as his mother pulled the bandages off of his small feet. Blood had already soaked through the cheap bandages his father had wrapped around his feet, the blisters looking especially red next to it.

Jay clenched her jaw, her eyes full of sadness as she used a warm cloth to clean his feet. "How long did he make you dance, petit oiseau?"

"Not long," Louis murmured, fiddling with his jacket. "It was only ten hours this time."

His mother didn't say anything, trying to focus on her task. Louis whined at the pain, tears welling up in his pretty blue eyes. His feet hurt so much, but he had to deal with it.

To make his father proud.

**

"Do it again!"

Louis grit his teeth, every inch of his eighteen-year-old body screaming at him to stop. He wanted nothing more than to cry and scream at the fresh pain.

He should be used to it, but he hasn't seen his father in a while.

"Louis William!" Troy yelled from the other side of the empty studio, the same place that he had built solely for his son. "You're not making me proud by quitting!"

Louis clenched his jaw, standing on his sore feet. His blue-eyed flashed as he looked at his father, full of contempt and hate. "I can only take so much, Troy. If I overwork my body, I'll pull a muscle."

"Don't talk back to me."

The blue-eyed Omega scoffed, clenching his fists at his side. He felt tired and his body hurt. Doesn't his father care? Louis stalked away, grabbing his soft lavender towel from the floor. He needs water.

Before he can leave, though, a firm hand wraps around his wrists and yanks him back.

"Did I say you could leave?" Troy dragged Louis back to the spot he's been in before, basically throwing him there. "You have a show in two days, Louis."

Louis felt angry tears well up in his eyes as he looked up at the man he used to admire with every fiber of his being. What has his life become? "I don't care about the fucking show! I'm tired of dancing and being your caged animal!"

SLAP!!

A sharp, white-hot pain flashed across Louis's face as he crumpled back towards the floor. The tears he was sporting earlier began to spill as he clutched his face.

Troy hit him.

"Stop crying. We have a show and you need to be ready."

********

PRESENT

L O U I S

"...he doesn't care about anybody, Edward." Louis's throat felt tight as he spoke the words, not meeting Edward's gaze. it would only make his heart hurt. "He wouldn't care about hurting someone like Atticus."

Louis can't look at Edward.

He can't handle the rejection right now.

"Darling..." Edward's voice sounded raspy, his green eyes soft as he reached for Louis's hand. "I-"

Louis flinches, his body was rigid.

Edward pulls his hand back and clears his throat. "I didn't know that. I don't understand how someone could do that to their child."

"He never saw me as his kid," Louis murmured, his tone stiff. "I stopped calling him dad because he never acted like one. I was just a source of income."

"Why didn't you leave?"

Louis sighed, drawing the shawl tighter around himself. "I signed a contract when I was younger that gave him full control of my finances until I turned twenty-five. That also includes my inheritance from my mum."

Silence.

It was almost deafening for Louis, making small tears threaten to spill down his cheeks. "I ran away from all of my problems, Edward. After she died, I couldn't look at my sisters or all those kids she adopted. I just left."

"So running is all you can do," Edward murmured, his tone full of sadness. "You don't have to run from your problems, darling."

Louis swallowed, still not looking at Edward. "I can't bring them to you, either. You have to prioritize Atticus's safety over mine."

"I know you don't want to hear this," Edward's voice was hushed. "But Fate picked us for each other for a reason."

Right.

Because Fate is right about everything.

"My parents were soulmates and hated each other." Louis pointed out stiffly, finally looking at Edward. Their eyes locked, and it was like magic.

Louis didn't feel trapped anymore.

Edward tentatively reached forward and took Louis's hand in his own. It felt nice and complete, but the blue-eyed omega couldn't let himself be fooled. "You said so yesterday, darling. We're meant to be together. For us. For Atticus. And you."

Louis hates how soft he feels around Edward.

Stupid fucking feelings.

"If I stay," Louis held Edward's gaze, his heart in his throat. "If I stay, I need to know that you'll make sure Atticus is safe above all else."

Edward blinked. "Of course."

Louis finally grasped at Edward's hand, returning the tight grip. "Okay. Just know that I'll kick your ass if you break your promise, Edward."

"I know."

****


	17. A Lucky Find

"Happiness is not a sin, so let's spread our wings and prepare to be lucky. ("C'est quand le bonheur ?")"

― Erik Pevernagie

L O U I S

"Here."

Edward grasped Louis's wrist in his hand, pulling a black velvet jewelry box out of nowhere. The blue-eyed Omega cocked his head to the side, his heart thundering in his ears as he looked at the elegant box.

Where was he hiding that?

"Is that..." Louis couldn't finish his sentence.

Edward nodded, smiling softly. "You don't have to wear it, but I just thought that you could see it. I think that it suits you fairly well."

Louis bit his lip, shakily accepting the elegant box. It felt soft in his hands and didn't feel heavy at all. It instantly made him feel better because he's never been a fan of heavy jewelry. As a dancer, he preferred simple things too extravagant ones.

When he opened the simple black box, Louis was absolutely floored.

A simple, rose gold cuff bracelet rested on soft fabric. The metal was intricately drawn to form flowers and leaves, with delicate diamonds in the flower petals. It was beautiful, making Louis's chest ache.

"If you don't like it, I can think of something else," Edward murmured, watching Louis's shocked expression. "I don't want to give you something you hate."

Louis gave him a look of shocked disbelief. "Don't be ridiculous. I love it, you idiot."

Edward's face lit up, a wide smile dawning on his features. "Really?"

"Of course."

****  
"LOU!!!"

Louis hadn't even made it two steps inside the large house before a blur of brown eyes and wild curls collided with his body. The small Omega nearly screamed and fell backward, landing on his bum with a loud thud.

Following Atticus like a train was a large black dog who was connected to a grumpy-looking cat. Between the two animals was a strange-looking leash.

"You're here!" Atticus squealed, clinging to Louis's sweater like a koala bear. "Daddy said you were coming but I didn't believe him!"

Louis chuckled, smiling so hard that his face hurt. "It's nice to see you too, petite oiseau."

When the blue-eyed Omega looked up from the small pup in his lap, he saw Edward watching them fondly. His gaze made Louis's cheeks blush a soft pink.

Atticus breathed in Louis's wildflower scent, already playing with the omega's soft sweater with his tiny hands. "Are you okay? You got hurt yesterday, Lou!"

"I'm fine," Louis promised, fixing the small alpha's wild curls. "You don't need to worry about me."

The small pup frowned, pouting slightly. "But you were scared, Lou! Does your boo-boo hurt?"

Before Louis could stop Atticus, the small pup yanked his sweater sleeve up. Revealing three finger-shaped bruises, his soulmate tattoos, one black bracelet, and the delicate bracelet Edward had gifted to him earlier.

Oh shit.

Atticus's eyes immediately zeroed in on the elegant piece of jewelry, his eyebrows furrowing. "Why are you wearing Baba's bracelet, Lou?"

Louis internally panicked, locking eyes with Edward.

Edward looked equally panicked, frozen in his spot as he watched his son play with the bracelet. Neither person knew how to explain the extremely affectionate thing, and Atticus has always been too good at seeing through lies.

"Baba said that only his soulmate can wear that," Atticus whispered, cocking his head to the side. "Why do you have it?"

Louis's heart thundered in his ears. "Well, I-"

It's now or never, right?

"I am their soulmate, petit oiseau," Louis spoke softly, nervous about how the small pup would react. Not a lot of kids handle these kinds of things well, so the small omega doesn't assume things.

Atticus blinked slowly. "You are?"

Louis nodded, skin still flushed a soft pink. 

The small pup looked at Edward for confirmation. The alpha nodded as well, studying Atticus's expression from afar. Louis anxiously bit the inside of his cheek, mentally preparing himself for the small boy to throw a fit.

Instead, Atticus's face lit up.

"I was right!" Atticus screeched and bolted upright, getting to his feet and sprinting out of the room.

Louis winced at the loud sound, watching the small pup run away from him. His eyebrows furrowed immediately as loud crashes radiated through the house. It spooked the cat, who bolted and took the large dog with her.

"Atticus!?"

"Atticus James!"

Louis heard the voices of Harry and Marcel come from opposite directions, locking eyes with Edward. The eldest triplet looked concerned and equally confused. "Is he okay?"

"I have no idea," Edward murmured, rubbing his temples. "We should go check."

Louis got to his feet and followed Edward through the house.

The house itself was the perfect mix of chaos, with toys and books scattered throughout. Awards (for music, acting, and writing) dotted the walls and bookshelves. Pictures of Atticus were placed in odd places, but it was cute nonetheless.

Edward came to a stop in front of a room with no door, stepping over large Lego blocks. "Atticus? Where are you?"

Louis sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We shouldn't have told him."

"Shouldn't have told him what?"

The alpha and omega spun around, coming face to face with Marcel and Harry. The musician looked like he had just woken up, with pen marks all over his face. The writer looked perfectly awake, just with a suspicious expression on his face.

Louis licked his lips. "Edward gave me his bracelet, and Atticus asked me why I had it."

Marcel froze, turning his gaze to Edward. "You did?"

"The fans from yesterday stole two of his bracelets," Edward said simply, crossing his arms. "He accepted it, so I don't see the big deal."

Harry, who looked to be still half asleep, scoffed. "Well, that's not fair."

"Oh, grow up you idiot."

Louis watched as the three triplets started to argue with each other, starting to become vaguely annoyed. While it was amusing, they still had no idea where Atticus was.

Three idiots.

The blue-eyed Omega rolled his eyes, turning and walking away from the three bickering alphas. The house was silent, which was not a good thing when it comes to a child. Silence means trouble, or at least that said child was doing something they shouldn't.

Louis leans on the wall, stepping over an RC car. "Atticus? Where are you?"

"In here!"

Atticus's voice was coming from a different room at the end of the hall, which had a wide array of colorful beads in the doorway. Louis quietly makes his way through the hallway, mentally preparing himself for the chaos.

Instead, the small omega sees a neatly put together room. Musical instruments dotted the walls and a mini recording studio sat in the corner.

Atticus sat in the center of the room, papers spread around him. The dog was curled next to him, the cat batting at the colorful leash with her paw.

Louis makes a mental note to ask about that later.

"What are you doing in here?" Louis murmured, walking into the room and sitting next to the small pup. His blue-eyes flickered to some of the papers. "What are these?"

Atticus beamed, shoving papers in his direction. "Pictures!"

Louis took a few of the papers, his eyebrows furrowing. "Why are you giving these to me?"

"I don't have a mummy," Atticus whispered loudly, gathering more paper in his hands. "Daddy said to color pictures of things I like so my future mummy would know what I like!"

Oh.

OH.

Louis looked at some of the pictures in his hands, some looking to be a few years old and others fairly new. Colorful stick figures dotted the paper, including bright suns and fluffy clouds. The art was messy, but adorable nonetheless.

Atticus pointed to a page, which had a stick figure with a much smaller one. "This is the one I drew when Uncle Niall gave me a cupcake! I really like them."

Louis smiled fondly. "Do you have a favorite kind?"

"I've only had one because Daddy says I can't handle sugar."

The blue-eyed Omega blinked, smiling despite the seriousness in Atticus's voice. "We'll have to fix that, then. My favorite cupcakes are red velvet with cream cheese frosting."

"Cupcakes can be red?"

Their conversation continued like that. Louis would ask questions about pictures and Atticus would tell the story behind every one. Most of the stories were small, but they had little details that made the omega grin.

Both of them were oblivious to the three alphas in the doorway. All of them had identical fond expressions on their faces, their chests feeling incredibly light and warm.

Louis is such a lucky find.

****


	18. Let Me Adore You

"There are infinite numbers between 0 and 1. There's .1 and .12 and .112 and an infinite collection of others. Of course, there is a bigger infinite set of numbers between 0 and 2, or between 0 and a million. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities. A writer we used to like taught us that. There are days, many of them when I resent the size of my unbounded set. I want more numbers than I'm likely to get, and God, I want more numbers for Augustus Waters than he got. But, Gus, my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn't trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful."  
― John Green

"― John Green   
L O U I S

"This is the one I drew when Daddy broke his foot!"

Louis grinned fondly, blue eyes bright as he looked at the crumpled bit of paper in Atticus's tiny hands. He could see a figure with a big boot next to a wide array of others. He could see Marcel (who had square glasses on his stick figure) and Edward (who had long hair).

There is one figure he didn't recognize, though.

"Who's that?" Louis murmured, pointing at an unknown figure in the picture.

Atticus looked at the figure Louis was pointing at, his brown eyes bright and full of excitement. "That's Grandma! She stayed over to make sure daddy didn't hurt his foot anymore!"

Oh.

Louis internally panics for a second. The triplets never talked about their family, always seeming much more interested in his own. Of course, they had a mum and probably came from a normal family with a normal childhood.

Unlike Louis.

"She read books to me and daddy." Atticus continued, pointing at the purple square in the middle of the page. "I like it when people read to me."

Louis blinks, shoving his insecurity towards the back of his brain. "Yeah? Do you have a favorite book? Or multiple?"

Atticus smiled brightly. "Poppa has been reading Charlotte's Web to me! He's said I'm too little for Atticus Finch."

"Much too little, petite oiseau," Louis murmured fondly, running his fingers through the boy's soft curls in an attempt to tame the mess. "Maybe when you're older."

Atticus pouted slightly. "That's what Poppa says."

Louis sighs, blue eyes flickering to the doorway as he looks at the three alphas he's so enamored with. His cheeks immediately heat up in slight embarrassment because all three of them have identical looks of fondness on their faces.

How long have they been watching?

The blue-eyed Omega looked back at Atticus, who was going through his drawings. "Are you hungry? It's still pretty early."

"Daddy was sleeping," Atticus spoke bluntly, head cocked to the side. "He makes breakfast, but he was super tired so I let him snore."

Louis starts to snicker as Harry's face immediately flushes in embarrassment.

"I do not snore, Atticus," Harry grumbled, obviously embarrassed.

Atticus's head snapped up, obviously not realizing that his fathers were standing in the doorway. Instead of feeling embarrassed or surprised, the small pup squealed and clung to Louis's shirt. 

"He snores really loud, Lou. He sounds like a dragon sometimes!"

Louis snickers, even more, relishing in the fact that Harry is now the embarrassed one. "I'm sure he does, petite oiseau. Would you like some breakfast?"

Atticus nodded excitedly, still clinging to Louis's sweater. "Yes, please!"

"Then you should clean up your mess while I cook," Louis murmured sternly, making Atticus pout slightly. "Toys are meant to be played with, not thrown on the floor."

The small pup whined in protest. "But-"

Louis raised an eyebrow at him, blue eyes sharp. "How would you feel if I tripped over your toys and hurt myself? Or if your dads' did?"

Atticus froze, brown eyes wide. "I'd feel bad, Lou."

"Go pick them up while I make breakfast," Louis spoke gently, his tone much less stern than before. His blue eyes were soft once again. "And please separate the cat and the dog. He's just dragging her around the house."

****

"You don't have to cook, you know."

Louis rolled his eyes at the tone in Harry's voice. He was currently cutting through some of the fresh strawberries he found in the fridge, pancake batter mixed in a large bowl next to him. "I want to. That, and Atticus wouldn't have released me otherwise."

Harry chuckled, leaning against the counter next to the busy omega. "Very true. He's properly infatuated and protective of you."

"And that doesn't concern you?"

The alpha blinked, cocking his head to the side. "Why would I be concerned?"

Louis sighed, placing the knife on the cutting board next to the strawberries. "He hasn't known me very long, and neither have you. I could be an ax murderer."

"I seriously doubt that you could wield an ax." Harry pointed out, obviously slightly amused. "But I get your point. We've never seen Atticus get attached to someone so fast so this is new territory."

Louis narrowed his eyes, letting the teasing comment slide. "What about his mother? He told me he doesn't have one, but he got those eyes from someone."

Harry froze for a split second.

The small omega sighed, skin flushed a soft pink. "I'm sorry for overstepping. I was genuinely curious and that gets me in trouble sometimes."

"Don't apologize," Harry murmured, shifting his weight. "His mother was a one night stand. It wasn't something that we usually do, but we were celebrating our birthday and quite drunk."

Louis inwardly laughs at the idea of the triplets being drunk. They were probably complete idiots and probably couldn't walk properly. "So he was a pretty big birthday present, then."

Harry laughed, green eyes glued to the floor. "You could say that."

The small omega picked up the knife again, focusing on his task again. He still needed to finish breakfast, so letting Harry talk while he did so was a safer bet. 

"She didn't have enough time for a kid," Harry murmured, almost like he didn't want Atticus to hear. "I've always wanted kids, the same goes for Eddy and Marcel. It wasn't even a question, honestly."

Louis nodded in agreement, smiling softly. "I get it. I've always wanted kids, but life happens I guess."

Harry looked at Louis, studying every inch of the omega's pretty features. "Edward told us about this morning. If I had known that they were going to leak those photos, I would have stopped it."

"Eh, there's not much to do about it now." 

The green-eyed alpha still didn't look convinced, though. His eyebrows were furrowed and green irises full of concern. "You wouldn't have tried to leave if it was nothing. They had no right to corner you in that bathroom and do things like that."

Louis sighed, blue eyes locked with Harry's. "I may not be a musician, but I know a great deal about stalkers and obsessed fans. I've had plenty of full-grown men trying to corner me. They would talk about how long they've been following my career."

Harry resists the urge to growl.

"I was a fucking kid, but they didn't care." Louis licked his lips, blue eyes misty. Almost like he was reliving a memory. "My point is, obsessive fans are part of this life. I just wish I had a little more time to myself."

Harry blinked, his green eyes never leaving Louis's face. "Your dad can't make you do anything you don't want to do, darling."

Louis's skin flushed a soft pink. "I know."

"Then why are you so scared?"

The blue-eyed omega sighed, finally finished with cutting the sweet fruit. Louis lifted the cutting board and mixed the finely chopped strawberries with the pancake batter. Anxiety courses through his veins, despite how calm he looked.

"I'm scared because he's going to try and manipulate the situation. I'm scared for you, for Atticus, for Edward, and Marcel."

Harry blinked, eyebrows immediately furrowing. 

Louis isn't scared of getting himself hurt, but for their wellbeing? This beautiful omega, damn near perfect in his eyes, is more worried about the safety of people he just met than his own. Harry can't wrap his head around it.

"You know," Harry resisted the urge to touch Louis's face. "You seem to care a lot about a kid you just met. So why is it so weird that we care about you just as much?"

Louis froze in the middle of his whisking.

Harry licked his lips, smiling at the omega's gobsmacked expression. "It's not that hard to adore you, darling. Just because you don't think you're good enough doesn't mean that we think the same way. Remember that."

****


	19. Patience

"Yes, I was infatuated with you: I am still. No one has ever heightened such a keen capacity for physical sensation in me. I cut you out because I couldn't stand being a passing fancy. Before I give my body, I must give my thoughts, my mind, my dreams. And you weren't having any of those."

― Sylvia Plath

― Sylvia Plath   
M A R C E L

"He's actually cleaning."

Marcel couldn't hide his shock either. It was a hassle to convince the small pup to pick up his toys, so more often than not the triplets either had to hire someone or clean it themselves. It was infuriating at times.

Yet, here is Atticus, humming a small tune as he picked his blocks off the floor. No tantrums, no tears, not even a frown. The small pup is happily cleaning up his mess.

"I feel utterly useless," Marcel muttered, blushing slightly.

Edward looked at him, eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

Marcel bit his lip, still watching Atticus pick up his toys. "He's listening to Louis, somebody he just met. If you and I had asked him to pick up his toys, he would have freaked."

"I've been thinking about that a lot, actually," Edward murmured in agreement, his voice hushed. "Before Louis, he was really attached to Niall and Mum."

"Your point being?"

Edward rolled his eyes at the annoyed tone in Marcel's voice. "He's never had a mother, Marcel. He's constantly surrounded by alphas and betas, so he attaches to omegas. His inner alpha wants to impress Louis, to make him proud."

Silence hung in the air.

Marcel's chest was filled with guilt, but it wasn't overpowering in that aspect. They've done everything to give Atticus the best childhood possible, but of course, they missed some things. The triplets were never ones for romance or sex except for that fateful night years ago.

They didn't want to date someone temporarily.

Parenthood is hard. Marcel is usually the one that stays home with Atticus, but even then the small alpha has always been good on his own. He was perfectly fine playing by himself or watching cartoons.

Is Marcel doing all of this wrong?

"Do you ever worry about fucking up, Eddy?"

Edward's green irises flickered to Marcel's, soft and painfully familiar. "It terrifies me."

Marcel nodded, shifting his weight to his other foot. Atticus was almost done cleaning, so they didn't have much time left to talk. "I worry that we're not doing enough for him. I want him to grow into his own person."

"No parent is perfect." Edward reminded him gently. "The best we can do right now is to make sure that Atticus knows we're here for him."

Right.

As silence blanketed the air again, Marcel's thoughts drifted to a certain omega with pretty blue eyes. The same omega who happened to be his soulmate, a beautiful person made for him (and two other idiots.) 

Louis is so much more than Marcel could have predicted.

At first glance, the omega looked soft and adorable. Louis looked like the definition of purity, but his words were the complete opposite. Every single syllable was carefully calculated and slipped off of his tongue like sweet molasses.

Behind his blue eyes were walls, high walls lined with barbed wire.

Those same walls, however, come crashing down with Atticus. Louis's face lights up around the small pup, almost like he was excited to feel happy again. It was sad and bittersweet, but heartwarming.

"Poppa?"

Marcel blinked out of his daze, looking down at Atticus. The small pup was holding a stack of papers in his hand. "What is it? Are you done?"

Atticus nodded shyly. "I just have a question."

"Ask away."

"...C-can I call L-Lou 'Mummy'?"

Marcel blanched, locking eyes with Edward. Panic coursed through his veins as he imagined how the small omega would react to that. It was much too early for something like that, but Atticus doesn't know any better.

He's excited.

"Not yet, bub," Edward spoke softly, kneeling next to the small pup. "It's a little too early for stuff like that. We don't want to freak Louis out."

Atticus nodded, still pouting slightly. "Why would he be scared?"

Edward chuckled, ruffling Atticus's curls. "We've only known him for a week, bub. We have to make sure that he's comfortable with everything, so we can't move that fast."

"But I want Lou to be my mummy," Atticus mumbled, his frown becoming more defined. "He's nice and he smells super good! He also hugs me when I'm sad like mummies are supposed to do!"

A faint ache in Marcel's chest grows a considerable amount.

Marcel sighs sadly, kneeling next to Edward and Atticus. He pulls his son to his chest, rubbing comforting circles into his back. "I know you do, bub. Just be patient, okay?"

Atticus grips Marcel's shirt between his fingers. "Okay, poppa."

****

"Breakfast is ready!"

Atticus bolted upright, spooking the cat he had in his hands. He had just finished disconnecting the leashes, so Darcy was ready to flee and hide somewhere far away. Clifford barked loudly, immediately chasing the cat out of the toy room.

Marcel watched with slight concern.

Poor Darcy.

"Food!" Atticus cheered, getting to his feet and bolting to the kitchen.

Marcel blinks, smiling warmly and locking eyes with Edward. They had been helping Atticus clean up the last bits of his toys in an attempt to hurry the process along.

Edward picked up the last few blocks and placed them in their respected place. "You're being unusually quiet. What are you thinking?"

"Well," Marcel cleared his throat, his thoughts heavy on his tongue. "I was thinking about Louis's situation, actually. Specifically about the contract."

The eldest triplet's eyebrows immediately furrowed. "What about it?"

Marcel got to his feet, wincing as his blood started to circulate once again. "It doesn't make sense that his father has control over Jay's will. They were separated before she died, so how does that work?"

"Soulmate Separation is a tricky thing." Edward pointed out, obviously not catching on to what Marcel was saying. "I'm sure it has more to do with having control over Louis's half."

Marcel pursed his lips. "Most contracts run over a 1 to the 5-year time span. Louis signed that contract when, exactly?"

"He was thirteen."

A ten-year contract?

I've never heard of something like that.

"What are you thinking?"

Marcel sighed, uneasiness swirling in his stomach. "I'm thinking that his father didn't tell him the whole truth. How is it possible that Jay managed to die coincidentally before the contract ran out?"

****

L O T T I E

Lottie stared at her phone, her heart thundering in her ears. Plastered on the screen, like a ghost from a very recent past, was someone she thought she'd never see again. A face that made her chest ache with sadness.

Louis sat at a table with three alphas and a child with his face blurred out.

Her older brother looked way healthier than the last time Lottie saw him, but the picture still filled her with bittersweet jealousy. His blue eyes were bright and happy, a sunshine smile on his lips.

He got a happy ever after, but she's still here.

Lottie is still here.

Louis may be her half-brother, but they're family none the less. Lottie is happy that he looks healthy, but she's jealous because she's still stuck here with their father.

"What are you looking at, Charlotte?"

Lottie froze, her heart in her throat as she locked eyes with Troy. "N-nothing. I was just taking a break before training some more."

Troy narrowed his eyes. "You're not allowed breaks. Give me your phone."

The sixteen-year-old omega sighed in defeat, placing her expensive phone in Troy's hands. Her father snatched the phone away, beady eyes scanning the screen. A heavy silence hung in the air, nearly suffocating Lottie.

"So he's in London." Troy mused, beady eyes dark. "Thank you for the information, Charlotte. I think that a little family reunion is in order."

****


	20. Fight My Fears

"You were just a boy on a bed in a room, like a kaleidoscope is a tube full of bits of broken glass. But the way I saw you were pieces refracting the light, shifting into an infinite universe of flowers and rainbows and insects and planets, magical dividing cells, pictures no one else knew ..."  
― Francesca Lia Block

"― Francesca Lia Block   
L O U I S

"You can be the princess, Lou!"

Atticus, Louis, and all three triplets were sitting in the pup's large playroom. Marcel was supposed to be writing, but he was too distracted to even try. Harry had a weird pair of plastic horns nestled into his hair and a pout on his lips.

Edward had Darcy in his lap, sitting next to harry with a messily glued together red mask on his face. It was all incredibly amusing to Louis until Atticus shoved a crown and tutu in his lap.

Louis looked at the soft blue tutu in his lap. "A princess?"

Atticus nodded, looking away for a split second to place a crown on his own head. "And I can be the king! Clifford is my horse, but he's not allowed in here coz he eats my stuffies."

Too cute.

"And what if I don't want to be a princess, petite oiseau?" Louis questioned, a fond smile on his lips as he placed the tiara on his head, "What if your Poppa wants to be one instead?"

The small boy pouted, looking at Marcel (who panicked at Louis's words). "Poppa can't be a princess because he's the evil king, Lou! And daddy is the mean dragon!"

"And what about me?" Edward mumbled, adjusting the mask on his face. "Am I evil too?"

Atticus shook his head. "You're the hero, Baba!"

Louis started to snicker as Harry and Marcel had identical looks of hurt on their features. Edward, however, suddenly looked triumphant. All of this was too cute to the small omega, especially with how good the triplets are with their son.

"What if I want to be the hero?" Louis teased, reaching to adjust the crown on top of Atticus's curls. "Princesses can be heroes too."

Atticus immediately shook his head, pouting slightly. "You're too pretty to fight bad guys, Lou. Baba isn't very pretty, which is why he's the hero!"

Louis choked, loud giggles escaping his lips.

Edward looked upset (although you can't tell with the mask) while Harry and Marcel suddenly looked to be in a better mood than before. At least, until Louis finally managed to control his breath to spit out a few words.

"Don't look so smug, you three are identical."

Atticus giggled with Louis while the triplets started to pout. The air around them was light and happy, perfectly breathable for everybody.

Louis hasn't felt this happy in a long time.

The small pup stopped laughing, only to hand a few more things to Louis. Atticus's eyes were bright as he smiled at the omega. "Go get dressed and hide, Lou. You have to hide from Poppa and Daddy while Baba tries to rescue you!"

Louis accepted the toys, getting to his feet. "And what will you be doing?"

Atticus suddenly looked serious. "I will be on my horse, trying to fight the dragon!"

Of course.

Have fun with that, Harry.

"Give me two minutes to hide, okay?"

Atticus nodded cutely, now focusing on digging through his toy trunk again. Louis pulls the blue tutu over his wide hips so it rested perfectly on his narrow waist.

Thank god he's a dancer.

Louis bolts out the door of the playroom and down the hallway, stopping momentarily to scratch Clifford's ears. 

The house was huge now that the toys had been cleaned up. Louis has no idea where he should hide, especially since he's at a disadvantage right now. He's the only person here who has no idea where the good hiding spots are.

The kitchen is a definite no, especially considering that it would be the first place that Harry would probably look.

The living room is also a definite no, considering that there are no places to actually hide. Louis could probably bury himself under blankets and pillows, but that doesn't sound too great.

He has an array of rooms to choose from, though.

Louis bolts into the third door on the right.

The room itself was dark, but smelled comforting and eased Louis's anxiety. Three smells mingled together, hanging in the air like a warm autumn breeze. Apples, cinnamon, and warm cedar.

As Louis's eyes adjust to the darkness, he's immediately filled with panic.

Shit.

Louis, out of all the rooms in this fucking mansion, managed to find the triplets' bedroom. It was messy in the sense that three large alphas spent most of their time here, yet it wasn't filthy. The bed looked neatly made, surrounded by warm autumn colors.

He shouldn't be in here.

"We're coming to find you, Lou!"

Fuck.

Louis actually panics, bolting for the closet in the corner. It was a walk-in and definitely large enough the small omega could hide under a few articles of clothing.

Better yet, the triplet's scents would mask his own.

Louis never loses at games, so he's all in at this point.

The blue-eyed omega hid in the corner of the closet, successfully hiding behind a pile of clothes near the back. His heart thudded in his ears as adrenaline coursed through his bloodstream. Louis can only hope that nobody finds him in here.

"Atticus, put down the sw- gah!"

Louis snickered quietly at the panic in Harry's voice.

"Where's the princess, evil dragon?" Atticus crowed, his loud screech being joined by a bark from Clifford. "I will defeat you!"

"I don't know where he is!"

Louis covers his mouth with his hand, trying his best to keep from laughing loudly. Harry genuinely sounded scared, despite the fact he was supposed to be a dragon. I mean, how could he not know that Atticus would have a plastic sword?

He's a proper idiot.

"Little dove, are you in here?"

Louis froze, his heart thundering in his ears. Marcel's voice wasn't muffled at all, like the others. His voice sounded close, which could only mean one thing.

Abort mission!

Before the small omega could think of a good escape plan, the light in the large closet flickered on. He was still hidden by some of the clothes, but Louis has a feeling that his hiding place is about to be discovered.

Marcel's cedar scent drifted through the air, signaling the alpha's arrival. "Little dove, I can smell you in here. Where are you?"

Louis's heart flutters at the affectionate pet name.

But he's not giving up that easy.

"You're in that corner, aren't you?"

God-fucking-dammit.

Louis sighed in defeat, poking his head out of his little cave in the corner of the closet. Marcel was leaning against the doorframe, his green eyes fond and smug. "You know what? This win doesn't count because I'm at a disadvantage."

Marcel chuckled, fixing his glasses. "Is that so?"

"Painfully so."

The green-eyed alpha sighed, a fond smile tugging at his lips. "How about this? you don't lose the game if I can hide out with you, little dove."

Louis blushed, biting his lip. "Won't Atticus notice that you're gone?"

"He's busy chasing Harry around with a toy sword."

The blue-eyed omega narrowed his eyes, looking around his makeshift cave. There was definitely enough room for Marcel, and Louis definitely did not wanna lose this game. He's never been a good loser.

"Get in here before someone sees you."

Marcel grinned, turning the light off and joining the omega on the carpeted floor. Louis let out a squeak as strong arms lifted him off of the floor and placed him in someone's lap. Someone who started to chuckle.

Louise's pretty blue eyes adjust to the darkness, a faint blush dawning on his cheeks.

He's in Marcel's lap.

"This was your plan the whole time, wasn't it?"

Marcel chuckled, shrugging as he rested his chin on Louis's shoulder. "Not really. I was originally trying to find somewhere to hide, myself. You just happened to be in my favorite hiding spot."

Louis shivered at the alpha's proximity, thanking the gods above that it was too dark for Marcel to see his pink cheeks. "Well, you're lucky that I felt like sharing. I got here first, so I have obvious dibs."

"I consider myself very lucky," Marcel murmured, going silent for a split second. "Dove?"

Louis hums, leaning into Marcel's warm chest."Yeah?"

The alpha absentmindedly pressed a kiss to the back of Louis's neck, making the small omega shiver. "After your mum died, where did you go? You kind of dropped off of the earth."

The question makes Louis freeze.

How does he respond to that?

Could he?

What would they think of him?

Louis swallows his fear, his throat was suddenly tight and contracting. "I was in Paris."

"Paris?" Marcel echoed, sounding confused. "I would have figured that-"

"I was homeless, Marcel," Louis spoke softly, choosing to rip the band-aid off instead of sugarcoating it. "I didn't know how to cope with her death or take care of myself, so I did stupid shit."

A heavy silence blanketed the room.

Louis fucking hates the silence.

"I got addicted to cocaine while living on the street." 

Louis continued, the words flowing from his tongue at a nonstop pace. He couldn't hide his fear or the amount of anxiety he was feeling. "Niall managed to find me a few months before I moved here. Got me in rehab and back on my feet, but I still carry that with me."

Addiction is a terrible disease.

Louis is prepared for Marcel to push him away, to call him a list of names he's only ever said to himself in the mirror.

But that doesn't happen.

"You're crying, dove."

Marcel gently touching Louis's face, forcing the omega to look at him. The small omega hadn't even noticed the small tears running down his face, especially considering the amount of anxiety that was coursing through his veins.

Louis let out a shaky breath, watching Marcel wipe away his tears. "Aren't you mad? Why aren't you yelling at me or something?"

Marcel sighed, pressing a soft kiss to Louis's nose. "I can't be mad at you for something you couldn't control, dove. Nobody does drugs with the plan to get addicted."

"It doesn't bother you?"

The alpha smiled softly, green eyes flickering Louis's lips for a split second. It made the omega's skin suddenly prickle with electricity. "We're made for each other, remember? Every flaw you have is painfully beautiful to me, little dove."

Oh, I hope someday I'll make it out of here

Even if it takes all night or a hundred years

Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near

Wanna feel alive, outside I can't fight my fear

Louis closed the small distance, pressing his lips against Marcel's.

The green-eyed alpha froze for a second before responding to Louis's kiss. it was needy and almost addicting, the way that they were tasting each other. Their lips moved together at a slow pace, Marcel finally relenting and running his tongue across the omega's bottom lip.

Louis whined softly, shifting his body slightly so he was straddling Marcel's lap.

"F-fuck." Marcel murmured, nearly breathless. "Kiss me again."

Their lips collided again, this time with Louis pulling at marcel's shirt. For once in his life, the small omega felt whole. He felt like everything suddenly made sense and was so painfully obvious.

Marcel's tongue explored his mouth, almost like the alpha wanted to memorize every crevice. Almost like he wanted to memorize every little thing that made Louis his.

When Louis opened his eyes again, he froze.

The light was suddenly on and-

"The evil king isn't supposed to kiss the princess, Poppa!"

******


	21. Sunshine Smile

"What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable?"  
― John Green

"What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable?"― John Green   
L O U I S

Louis felt his face heat up as he shoved himself away from Marcel's chest.

Atticus stood in the entrance of the closet, narrowing his brown eyes at them both. He had a plastic sword in his hand and his brown curls were absolutely wild on his head, almost as if he had been running.

"Atticus." Marcel breathed, green eyes wide as he saw his son. "Shit."

The small omega hid his face in his hands, still perched in Marcel's lap. Louis felt incredibly embarrassed that Atticus had caught them making out in a closet. Out of all the things that happened today, this had been the worst.

Not kissing Marcel (because that was great) but Atticus catching them.

"This isn't part of the game, Poppa," Atticus said pointedly, not sounding angry at all. "The princess is supposed to kiss the hero, not the evil king!"

Marcel looked slightly pink as well. "Um, well...."

Louis could make the heat on his skin lessen. He's never felt so embarrassed in his life. "Well, you won the game, Atticus. You found me and saved me from the evil king!"

Atticus's eyes lit up. "I did?!"

"You did," Louis murmured fondly, his cheeks still a soft pink. "I think that means that you deserve a piece of candy."

Atticus let out a screech and bolted out the closet and out of the bedroom. "Candy! Daddy, Lou said that I can have candy because I won the game!"

As soon as the small boy was gone, Louis started to laugh and hid his face in his hands. He still felt embarrassed and slightly awkward but much less than before. Marcel chuckled as well, leaning his head back against the wall.

"That was so embarrassing, oh my god." Louis couldn't stop smiling. "Harry and Edward are gonna be pissed."

Marcel hummed in agreement. "About the kiss or the candy?"

"Both."

*****

When Louis and Marcel finally left the confines of the small closet, Harry and Edward were sitting on the kitchen floor with freshly-opened water bottles. They looked out of breath while Atticus was happily eating a handful of gummy bears.

Louis raised an eyebrow at them both. "Tired?"

"Turns out that I can run faster than Clifford," Harry mumbled, looking exhausted. "A toddler with a plastic sword can be pretty scary."

Edward hummed in agreement, placing Curious George bandaids along his forearm. "With Clifford chasing him, Darcy latched onto my arm and refused to let go. I was out of the game before it even started."

Louis resisted the urge to snicker. "Oh, poor babies. You sound just like a bunch of sore losers to me."

"Didn't Marcel find you within five minutes?" Harry pointed out, pouting slightly. "You lost too."

The small omega shrugged, sitting in front of Atticus. The small pup offered Louis a handful of sugar-free gummy bears. "Thank you, petite oiseau. And technically I didn't lose because Atticus found me."

Atticus nodded, swallowing his candy. "I found him kissing Poppa in the closet, but he won cause I saved him!"

"How is that fair?" Edward tried, not looking surprised by the news. "I was on the same side, but I still lost?"

The small pup nodded.

Edward rolled his green eyes, looking at Louis and Marcel. "By the way, Niall called. He said that you need to get home soon. He said something about a movie night?"

Louis's eyebrows furrowed. "I completely forgot. Would you mind taking me home?"

"I'll do it!" Harry blurted, sitting upright.

Edward gave his younger brother a confused glance before focusing on the small omega again. "Harry can. It's almost time for Atticus's nap and Marcel needs to get ready for a press conference."

Louis nodded, biting his lip. "Let's go, Harold."

***


	22. Learn to Fly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “What is lovely never dies, but passes into other loveliness, Star-dust, or sea-foam, flower or winged air.”  
> ― Thomas Bailey Aldrich

*physical assault warning*

*louis gets slapped by an angry parent*

L O U I S

"Raise your hands above your head, please!"

All the children eagerly raised their arms, many of them giggling as some of them nearly fell down. Louis smiled fondly, his arms crossed and pretty blue eyes bright with happiness. Atticus was situated near the front, laughing loudly from his spot next to Hayden.

It was nice to see Atticus make a friend.

"Now touch your toes, doves," Louis spoke loudly, tapping his foot in time with the music that was playing in the background. "Relax your back and try not to fall over, please."

Abigail, the oldest of the group, easily touched her toes.

The small alpha always tried her best in class, sometimes to the point that she hurt herself. Abigail always has to be the best, which is slightly concerning to Louis. She never gives herself a break, and her father didn't either.

M.J, always so eager to impress Abigail, tried to follow. 

Moving a bit too fast.

With a loud thud, Mary Jane tumbled forward and lost her footing. Louis's eyes immediately softened as the small omega burst into tears as the other children started to giggle. Abigail joined in, obviously not aware that it would hurt her friend's feelings.

Louis rushed forward, kneeling down to check the small omega over for any injuries. "Are you okay, love? That was quite a fall."

"I-I-I'm sorry, Madame." M.J hiccuped, her face red and eyes full of tears. "I d-didn't mean to fall."

The blue-eyed omega sighed, gently brushing a few loose strands of her hair away from her face. "Don't apologize, love. Accidents happen, so don't freak out for them. Are you hurt?"

M.J shook her head, her pigtails moving wildly.

Louis smiled softly, helping the small omega get to her feet before fixing his stern gaze on the rest of the class. Many of the children were still giggling and whispering among themselves. Atticus and Hayden were watching with wide eyes.

"That wasn't funny, doves."

Most of the class immediately stopped giggling, eyes wide and staring at their teacher in slight shame. Abigail, however, was still muffling her laughter with her hand.

Louis sighed, blue eyes sharp. "Abigail, go get your things."

Immediate silence.

"W-why?" Abigail stuttered, not laughing anymore. "M-Madame?"

Louis crossed his arms, holding a stern gaze with each child before locking eyes with Abigail. "I don't tolerate bullying in my class, intentional or not. Mary Jane could have seriously been hurt, Abigail."

The small alpha's lip wobbled. "B-but-"

"This isn't the first time, either." Louis continued, his gaze still stern. "You make fun of people who are different from you. This class is about embracing your differences, not about who's the best."

Normally, Louis would never be this stern with anyone in this class. But Abigail has constantly made fun of her peers, holding herself above them with the delusion that she was the best. They're children, so none of this should be about their levels of talent.

It should never be about that.

"Every single one of you has talent." Louis continued, finally tearing his eyes from Abigail. "Your differences make you strong and should never tear you apart. You're still learning to fly, doves."

Abigail was still crying, not even bothering to wipe her eyes.

Louis's heart ached at the sight but someone had to be honest with her. "Abigail, if you truly enjoy dancing then you should understand that it's not about being better than everybody else. Everyone is talented in their own way."

"I-I'm sorry, Madame." Abigail sniffled, looking at her feet.

Louis sighed, taking a few steps forward to wipe away her tears. "Then work on being nicer, love. There's n point in apologizing if you refuse to change."

Abigail nodded, biting her lip. "Do I still have to leave?"

"No."

Her face lit up.

"But I do want you to work on being friends with everyone else. Am I understood, Abigail?"

Abigail smiled, no longer crying. "Yes, Madame."

******

"Mister Tomlinson?"

It was shortly after class had ended when Louis's name was called.

The blue-eyed omega had been cleaning up the studio, humming along to music in an attempt to fill the silence. Atticus was fast asleep in the corner, curled up on one of the gymnastic pads. He was tightly gripping one of Louis's scarves, sleepily mumbling incoherent words.

Louis turned around, eyebrows furrowed. "Mr. Benson? Your mate picked Abigail up about thirty minutes ago."

Abigail's father was tall and slightly terrifying, harsh alpha pheromones coming off of him in waves. His arms were crossed and green eyes, which were identical to his daughter's, were full of anger.

"Why did you tell my daughter that her talent doesn't matter?!"

Louis raised an eyebrow at the alpha's outburst. "I never said that, Mr. Benson. I told her that being the best shouldn't matter in a school setting."

Mr. Benson scoffed, crossing his arms. "But she is the best at this shitty school! Are you telling me that she isn't a prodigy?"

Oh boy.

Louis resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the ginger-haired alpha. "Keep your voice down, Mr. Benson. If you haven't noticed, I have a pup sleeping in here."

"Don't tell me what to do, omega."

Mr. Benson's voice was full of malice and condescending arrogance, matching his demeanor perfectly. Louis's body froze at the insult, which was obviously more of a threat than a warning. It was a reminder of who was in charge.

The alpha, however, pretended not to notice.

"My daughter is your most talented student, Mr. Tomlinson." Mr. Benson growled, green eyes hard. "Asking her to associate with filth is pure disrespect!"

Louis took a deep breath, keeping his expression neutral. "She's a child, Mr. Benson. You're teaching her to be hateful towards people you consider to be 'filth'. People who are different aren't any less important than you."

Mr. Benson stiffened. "Are you trying to tell me how to raise my daughter?"

Shit.

"I'm telling you not to make a mistake," Louis murmured, squaring his shoulders. "Pressuring your daughter to be the best will only make her despise you. Let her be a kid, Mr. Benson."

Mr. Benson clenched his jaw, growling lowly at Louis in an obvious attempt at intimidation. His green eyes flickered to the omega's wrist, where his bracelets were slightly hidden by his sleeve. Then a large smirk dawned on his features.

"That's rich, coming from a former prodigal star. I bet that the only reason you stopped dancing is that you managed to get knocked up like a cheap whore."

Louis blinked. "Wow. Not only are you wrong, but you're fucking dumb."

Then, almost in slow motion, the much taller alpha delivered a harsh slap across Louis's face. It could've been worse, but still hurt none the less.

White-hot pain flashed across Louis's face, a soft whimper escaping his lips before he could stop it. Whether it be from the surprise or from the act itself, the small omega crumbled to the floor. His face burned, stinging from the physical assault.

Son of a bitch.

"That'll teach you to disrespect an alpha."

Louis glared at the alpha's retreating back, hot tears welling up in his eyes as the pain hit him full force. Mr. Benson was gone as quickly as he had appeared, but his handprint was still on the omega's cheek.

It's been a long time since he's been hit like that.

Louis took a shaky breath, touching his face as his tears started to fall freely. His skin felt hot and sensitive, no doubt red from the amount of force behind the slap.

"L-Lou?"

Shit.

Fuck.

Louis internally panics, realizing that Atticus was awake and probably had witnessed the whole thing. The last thing he needs is for the small pup to cry and freak out.

Small hands gripped Louis's sweater, forcing the small omega to finally lock eyes with a very sleepy Atticus.

The pup had drool on one cheek and his curls were an absolute mess from sleep. Atticus's brown eyes were halfway shut, instantly filling Louis with relief; Atticus hadn't seen the interaction. He hadn't seen anything.

"You're scared..." Atticus mumbled, yawning cutely. "Why are you crying, Lou?'

Louis pulled the small pup to his chest, taking shaky breaths in an attempt to calm his anxiety. "J-just sad, petit oiseau."

Atticus's eyelids flew open at the crack in Louis's voice. With wide brown eyes, the small pup finally noticed the red handprint on the omegas cheek. The mark was quickly darkening to form a bruise that covered most of his face.

"Y-you're hurt!" Atticus touched Louis's cheek, making the omega flinch. "W-who h-hurt you, Lou? W-what-"

Louis tightened his embrace of Atticus. "I'm fine, petit oiseau."

Atticus struggled in the omega's grip, whimpering loudly. "Y-you're NOT! Stop-p lying!"

"Atticus, I'm-"

Then, before Louis could stop him, Atticus let out a screech.

"UNCLE NIALL!!"

Shit.

*********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE
> 
> I adore Atticus so much.
> 
> This made me a little emotional, especially when Atticus noticed Louis's injury. He doesn't know any better and he just wants to help.
> 
> THOUGHTS???
> 
> CONCERNS???
> 
> THEORIES???


	23. Safe & Sound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "There really is a place where kisses taste like apple pie and where stars spill like sugar across the sky."  
> ― Nina Lane

H A R R Y

"Where is he, Niall?!"

The words left Harry's lips in a clipped fashion, conveying every emotion that the alpha felt in his chest. His worry increased considerably as he looked around the studio, realizing that neither his son nor his pretty soulmate was in sight.

Niall had called him about thirty minutes ago.

The small omega told him to get to the studio right away but didn't mention anything else. Harry, though, could hear Atticus crying in the background of the call.

The sound was enough to make Harry panic.

"They're upstairs."

Niall's voice was barely above a hushed whisper, which was so unlike the normally loud omega. He had a soft blanket tightly wrapped around himself, and his usually bright blue eyes were almost a dark gray.

Harry blinked, his initial feeling of dread increasing with every second. "What happened, Niall? I heard Atticus crying over the phone...He sounded like he was hurt."

"He's not hurt, Harry," Niall took a shaky breath. "It's Louis."

What?

Harry's heart dropped to the deepest pit of his stomach as the world around him seemed to stand still. "What do you mean, Niall?"

Niall swallowed thickly, taking a shaky breath and glancing around like he was paranoid. Harry wanted to shout multiple questions at him, but he knows better than to spook an omega like that. Especially since the small omega is already scared.

"An angry parent slapped him earlier. Atticus was asleep, but the parent was an alpha so the bruise is pretty significant."

******

L O U I S

"Your room is so pretty, Lou!"

Louis watched as Atticus eagerly explored his bedroom, his tiny hands touching every little thing and tapping strange rhythms on the surface. Most of his things were still packed, but it was something that he was working on.

Atticus came to a stop in front of Louis's packed belongings. "Why's your stuff in boxes? Isn't stuff that you want in there?"

"I-" Louis pursed his lips, fiddling with his sweater sleeves. "Just memories, Atticus. Pictures of my siblings, my mum, things like that."

His brown eyes lit up. "Pictures?!" 

Louis sighed, getting to his feet and approaching the stacked boxes. With trembling hands, the small omega opened the flaps of the top box. He had tried to unpack, but all the memories had overwhelmed him.

For Atticus.

He's curious.

Atticus watched eagerly as Louis lifted picture albums from the box, a bright smile on his lips that made the small omega feel better. 

Louis grinned, gesturing towards his bed. "Let's sit down, then. There are so many pictures, I promise we'll have to be sitting for most of it. My mum loved taking pictures of us kids, even if there wasn't a special occasion."

"Poppa likes pictures too!"

The blue-eyed omega smiled fondly, climbing on his bed and placing the photo album between him and Atticus. "I haven't looked at these in a long time, petit oiseau. I might cry, so don't laugh at me."

Atticus shook his head wildly. "Daddy says that crying is normal! It helps us feel better!"

"Yeah..." Louis bit his lip. "Let's get started, then."

With shaking hands, Louis opened the light blue photo album.

The first photo was of him and his mum, shortly after he was born. His mother looked exhausted and happy, practically glowing as she held a crying baby to her chest. Next to her was Louis's dad, who looked proud and equally happy.

It's funny how things change.

"This is me and my parents, petit oiseau," Louis mumbled, his chest tight with pain. "I was born on Christmas Eve, believe it or not."

Atticus gasped. "Christmas Eve? That's so cool!"

Louis chuckled at the small pup, memories flashing through his brain of ridiculously festive birthday parties. "Not really. My mum absolutely adored mixing my birthday with Christmas, talking about how I was her miracle."

"Miracle?"

The small omega nodded. "She had trouble with having a baby, petit oiseau. After I was born, she couldn't have anymore...so she adopted."

Atticus cocked his head to the side. "Adopted? What's that mean, Lou?"

"Well," Louis licked his lips thoughtfully. "Some kids don't have parents that care about them, Atticus. Some people, like my mum, have so much love to give so they offer to love those kids. She became their mum."

The small pup still looked confused. "Didn't she want you? Why would she want all those other kids, Lou?"

Louis chuckled fondly, taking a deep breath. "She loved me with everything she had, love. All those kids became my siblings, so I wasn't as lonely anymore."

"Where are they now?"

Gone.

After Louis's mum died, Troy got legal custody of them as their adoptive dad. He put all those kids, every single one, back in the system. The small omega has no idea where they are right now, so it was better to forget they existed.

It hurt less that way.

Before Louis could respond, loud footsteps thundered through the apartment.

"Louis? Atticus? Where are you?"

Harry.

Atticus bolted upright, eagerly jumping off of Louis's bed like he's never been more excited to hear Harry's voice. "We're in here, daddy! We're in Lou's room in the hallway! It's next to the bathroom but still nice!"

Louis, however, fucking panicked.

He was not prepared for Harry to be here this early. He hasn't covered up the bruise on his cheek, and he sure as hell hasn't asked Atticus to keep this a secret. He doesn't want any of the triplets freaking out right now.

"Darling?"

Harry appeared in Louis's doorway, Atticus in his arms.

Louis gulped, not meeting harry's concerned gaze. "H-hey, Harry. I wasn't aware that you were picking him up early. How was your-"

"Let me-" Harry placed Atticus on the bed, sitting next to Louis. "Let me see your face, darling. Niall called me and I came rushing over as soon as I could."

The small omega flinched as Harry gingerly touched his face, allowing the alpha a chance to study the dark bruise that was blossoming on his skin. Small tears welled up in Louis's eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

Harry sighed, gently running his thumb along the bruise. "Oh, darling...I see why Atticus was freaking out, now."

"He was crying, daddy!" Atticus supplied, climbing into Harry's lap. "A lot."

Louis swallowed dryly, chewing on his bottom lip. "I was just surprised. I'm fine, Harry."

Harry blinked in obvious disbelief, his eyebrows quirked in an odd way. "I wish you would stop saying that, Louis. It's okay to feel sad, or even scared. It's okay to be vulnerable in front of me... In front of us."

"I-" Louis sighed in defeat. "I know, Harry. It's just hard sometimes."

The alpha ran his fingers down Louis's neck and shoulder, resting there for a split second. "I understand, darling. Let's cuddle, yeah?"

Louis nodded, allowing Harry to kiss his cheek. "Okay."

With gentle hands, Harry pulled the hurt omega closer to him so that Atticus was cuddled between them. It was warm and comforting, laying there on Louis's soft bed. On the outside, the alpha appeared relatively calm.

But on the inside?

Harry's furious.

******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ******
> 
> AUTHOR'S NOTE
> 
> soft larry
> 
> THOUGHTS???
> 
> THEORIES???
> 
> CONCERNS????


	24. Take Care of You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Day leans in toward me. He reaches up to touch my face. I can tell it still hurts him to use his fingers, and his nails are dark with dried blood. 
> 
> "You're brilliant," He says. "But you're a fool to stay with someone like me."
> 
> I close my eyes at the touch of his hand. "Then we're both fools.”
> 
> ― Marie Lu

L O U I S

The sound of a door closing made the small omega jolt awake. 

Harry sent him an apologetic glance as he climbed back on the bed, looking just as tired as Louis felt. "Sorry that I woke you up, dove. Eddy and Marcel are here, so I asked Niall to take Atticus out for icecream."

What?

Before Louis could respond or even process the alpha's words, his door opened again to reveal two very familiar alpha with identical looks of worry on their faces. 

Marcel growled lowly as he noticed the bruise on Louis's cheek.

Edward, though, simply clenched his jaw and made his way to the edge of Louis's mattress. He pulled off his jacket and tossed it to the floor, climbing onto the bed and checking the small omega over.

Louis flinched, whimpering softly. "E-Eddy..."

"Who did this to you, Louis?"

The small omega couldn't bring himself to answer truthfully, especially with the amount of anger he saw in Edward's usually calm green eyes. "It's not as bad as it looks, Eddy. It's just a bit sore, honestly."

Marcel scoffed loudly, kicking off his shoes. "You're hurt, Louis."

Louis chewed on his bottom lip. "It's not that important, okay? i just want to cuddle and maybe watch a film..."

A heavy silence blanketed the air.

The small omega was now sandwiched between Harry and Edward, with Marcel at his feet. None of them looked angry at him, or even annoyed, but Louis couldn't help but feel like a burden to them.

"What-" Edward sniffed harshly at Louis's scent gland. "You stink of the bastard."

Louis whined softly, his skin heating up with every touch that Edward placed against his skin. The amount of possessiveness was almost too much for him to bear, especially with the amount of pheromones that all three alphas were releasing.

The eldest triplet possessively scented Louis's skin, gripping the omega's hips tightly. "I absolutely hate that you smell like someone else. I can't believe that he had a nerve to hit you."

The small omega shivered slightly. "All that matters is that I'm fine, okay?"

"Are you, though? Fine, I mean."

Harry's voice was hushed, but Louis heard it nonetheless. "It's obviously bothering you, dove. If it wasn't, you wouldn't be lying to us right now."

Louis couldn't respond.

Honestly, it was infuriating sometimes. 

The triplets always seem to know his feelings, no matter how hard he tries to hide them. Louis isn't used to being called out like that, especially in terms of the little white lies he seems to have a habit of telling.

Louis sighed in defeat, gently playing with Harry's shirt. "It bothers me, okay? If that parent was perfectly fine with hitting me...what's going to stop him from hitting his child?"

"Louis," Harry gently grasped the omega's chin. "You can't save everyone."

The blue-eyed omega swallowed thickly. "But she's a child, Harry."

Marcel gently placed Louis's legs in his lap, his green eyes incredibly soft. "You're so selfless, darling, but you can't help anybody until you help yourself. And without proof, we're in no place to help her."

"I-" Louis felt a tear fall. "I'm so tired of just standing by, Marcel."

Edward, who was gently carressing Louis's skin, placed an affectionate kiss against the nape of the omega's neck. "Just let us take care of you, okay? After you're feeling better, I can see what we can do for Abigail."

The words held so much promise.

So much care.

"Okay."

******

E D W A R D

Beautiful.

It was only a simple word, but it was the beginning of a long list to describe Louis. It could be allowed by flawless, ethereal, and even pretty. But each word didn't seem like quite enough, so Edward will stick with that list.

Being with Louis was as easy as breathing.

The small talk and affectionate words seemed so much more than what they actually were. Every single syllable that left Louis's lips was enough to bring Edward further under his spell, no matter how stupid or idiotic the sentence was.

"You're staring again, Edward."

Edward snapped out of his trance, quickly realizing that he had been staring intently at Louis's lips. "You sya that as if it's a bad thing, darling. I'd gladly spend the rest of days staring at you."

Louis flushed scarlet, filling Edward with immense pride. "You're a sap."

"Only with you, though."

The small omega rolled his eyes, an embarrassed smile on his lips as he snuggled closer into Edward's chest. Despite the large bruise on his cheek, he looked adorable. "You're lucky I think it's cute, Edward. Your way with words, I mean."

Edward grinned proudly. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Louis mumbled cutely, his voice muffled by Edward's shirt. "It's almost sickening, actually."

The alpha's chest ached from the cuteness.

And oddly enough, Edward's perfectly alright with that.

Harry pressed his body closer to Louis, resting his chin on the omega's shoulder in an attempt to capture his attention. "I'm almost jealous. You can't just talk to Edward the whole time, little dove."

Louis blushed, rolling his eyes. "Maybe if you talked more, I would."

"I love it when you're sassy. It's adorable."

Before the small omega could respond, Marcel made a noise of annoyance from the foot of the small bed. All four of them were on top of each other in an attempt to fit on the small mattress, but nobody seemed to mind.

Except Edward.

He makes a mental not to buy a new one.

"Atticus isn't here so I would appreciate getting some sleep before Niall brings him back."

Louis snickered softly at Marcel's annoyed tone. "That's if Niall brings him back. I wouldn't be surprised if he's purposefully making Atticus super hyper right now."

At that, all three alphas groaned.

atticus was one of the kids who cannot handle sugar. the last time that Niall had him, he gave the small pup a single cupcake that had him up for ages. He quite literally seemed to bounce off the walls, which is why the triplets have the sugar ban.

"I-" Louis sounded incredibly shy for a second. "I have a question."

Edward cocked his head to the side, his eyebrows furrowed. "Just ask the question, darling. Unlike with Atticus, I'm quite sure that we can answer yours."

Louis smiled at that before chewing on his lip. "Don't laugh, okay?"

"I don't think I will, but okay. I won't laugh."

With pretty pink cheeks, Louis shyly fiddled with Edward's shirt. "C-can I have a kiss? I've already snogged Marcel, but we were interrupted by Atticus."

Marcel nodded in agreement, his eyes still closed. "Scared the fuck out of me, honestly. That kid can be so quiet when he needs to be."

Although Louis and Marcel were reminiscing, Edward's mind was reeling. 

Kissing Louis has been on his mind for ages, but Atticus made it difficult sometimes. As kids often do, the small pup always seemed to interrupt emotionally charged moments that eventually lead to affectionate kisses.

Harry seemed as excited as Edward felt. "All you had to do was ask, little dove. Come here."

******

L O U I S

"All you had to do was ask, little dove. Come here."

Louis's heart thundered in his ears as he faced Harry. The air suddenly seemed charge something that was warm and welcoming, but it had an edge of desire that nobody could shake. 

With nervous butterflies, Louis pressed his lips against Harry's.

And it was like a dam broke.

Electricity pulsed through Louis's veins as the alpha gingerly licked his bottom lip, tasting the small omega like he wanted to memorise every flavor. It was like the world had stopped spinning, and all they could focus on was eachother.

Fuck.

Louis whimpered softly, opening his lips and allowing Harry's access to his mouth. 

The small, albeit sinful, sound was enough to make Harry growl and kiss him with more ugrncy than before. His large hands explored Louis's body before coming to a stop at his throat, calloused fingers grazing the soft skin.

"My turn. Come here, darling."

With a small squeak, Louis allowed Edward to pull his body closer and link their lips together. His skin suddenly felt hot and almost suffocating, bit in all the best ways.

Louis whined into the kiss, pulling at Edward's shirt as the alpha sucked greedily on his lips and tongue. His mind was spinning with amount of desire that seemed to cloud it, but that was nothing compared to the white-hot arousal growing in his stomach.

"Fuck." Edward cursed lowly, gripping Louis lips. "You're so sweet, baby."

The small omega whimpered pathetically. "Eddie, please."

Edward automatically seemed to know exactly what Louis wanted, easily gripping the omega's hips and pulling him into his lap. The omega's thick thighs straddled his lap like they were made to be there.

"God, Louis," Edward breathed softed, his green eyes dilated. "You're making it difficult not to knot you right here and now."

Louis's skin prickled with need. "What if I want you to?"

Edward took a shaky breath, obviously trying restrain himself. "I wouldn't. Because no matter how badly I want to seem my mark on your neck or to see you pregnant with my pups, we're not ready for that."

The words shouldn't have made Louis's heart flutter.

"I'd like to court you properly, first."

Louis pouted slightly, tearing his pretty blue eyes away from Edward to look at Harry and Marcel. "This is a bit unfair, you know? There's three of you and only one of me, so I'm obviously at a disadvantage."

Marcel raised an eyebrow, his green irises a dark shade. "What do you mean?"

"I-" Louis blushed pink. "I want to be knotted, but you don't want to knot me. Hardly fair."

Harry scoffed, his voice rough with arousal. "Oh, we want to. But Edward's right, dove. We need to court you properly before we take that next step."

Dammit. 

Louis bit his lip, his pretty blue eyes an incredibly dark color. "Then go on a date with me, please? I was waiting for you to ask, but I have no problem doing so."

*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *****
> 
> AUTHOR'S NOTE
> 
> oh how the turntables have turned ;)
> 
> THOUGHTS??
> 
> THEORIES??
> 
> CONCERNS??


	25. Perfect Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "One day you will kiss a man you can't breathe without, and find that breath is of little consequence."  
> ― Karen Marie Moning

L O U I S

Marcel bolted upright, accidentally kicking Harry and the face.

Harry immediately covered his face, a pained groan escaping his lips as Louis choked on laughter in Edward's (who was snickering) lap. "What did you do that for? That fucking hurt, Marcel!"

"I didn't mean to! I was surprised!"

"What about my nose!? I have a photoshoot in two days, you idiot!"

"Well, you're welcome! Lord knows that you need a nose job anyway!"

"..........WE HAVE THE SAME NOSE, MARCEL!"

Louis muffled his giggles with his fist, clinging to Edward as the eldest triplet chuckled as well. Watching Harry and Marcel bicker was more entertaining than the soap operas his mum used to watch.

And those were pretty dramatic.

Harry and Marcel looked at Louis in obvious surprise at the cute giggle that left the omega's lips. Identical expressions of fond affection dawned on their faces, accompanied by proud smiles. They were so infatuated, it was almost sickening.

Louis noticed the fond stares, turning bright red. "What?"

"You're cute," Edward answered smoothly, gently brushing a strand of hair behind the omega's ear. "I simply adore your laugh, darling."

The small omega suddenly felt embarrassed. "Now you sound like Atticus."

Harry snorted loudly, low chuckles escaping his lips. "That means it's the truth, little dove. Kids are hopelessly blunt and honest, especially Atticus. Sometimes I wish he could tell a proper lie once in a while."

Marcel rolled his eyes at that. "You're only saying that because he said that your suit was ugly, Harry. Grow up."

"It was GUCCI! How is that ugly?"

"You looked like Grandma's curtains!"

As they started to argue again, Louis rolled his eyes and looked at Edward. The eldest triplet looked slightly mortified, almost like he was embarrassed that they were bickering again. To be fair, the small omega had NEVER seen this ugly suit.

{A.N: honestly, I loved that suit lol}

Louis shyly pressed a kiss on Edward's jaw, his skin flushed a pretty pink. "Don't be embarrassed, Edward. I think that you forget that I teach children for a living."

The alpha blushed. "But they're children. Harry and Marcel are supposed to be adults."

"That's the keyword, though. Supposed."

Edward grinned at that, wrapping his arms tighter around Louis's body. It was almost like he was terrified to let go; almost like he was scared that the small omega would cease to exist if they stopped touching.

It made Louis's heart skip a beat.

"Harry's right, you know. You're so perfect that even Atticus can see it."

Louis's face lit up with a pretty sunshine smile, making his blue eyes sparkle as he blushed. "There's no such thing as perfection, Edward."

Edward shrugged. "That's what makes you perfect, darling. You have these flaws that only make me more obsessed with you, if possible. What you see as terrible flaws are what makes you unique and absolutely perfect."

Stupid Edward and his amazing way with words.

Louis hid his face in the crook of Edward's neck, obviously too flustered to actually respond. His face (and whole body, really) felt flushed and hot, but not in the sense that he was getting close to his inevitable heat.

More so in a way that he felt warm and cuddly.

*******

"LOU!"

Atticus flung himself onto Louis's bed, his face was sticky with melted ice cream and sprinkles. His curls were wild and sticking up in odd directions, giving the small toddler a terrifyingly chaotic appearance.

Harry grunted as Atticus landed on his back.

Marcel, however, started snickering.

Louis chuckled from his spot on Edward's lap, accepting the boy's hug. "You're covered in sprinkles, petit oiseau."

The small pup didn't respond, crawling in between Louis and Edward.

Edward raised an eyebrow at Atticus, who was now sitting between them. "And what do you think you're doing, kiddo?"

Atticus grinned innocently. 

"He just wants cuddles, obviously," Louis pointed out, gently holding Atticus to his chest. "I'm his favorite now, remember?"

Harry, who had recovered from his 'injury', rolled his eyes as he sat up. His green eyes were playful and bright as he started to remove the sprinkles from Atticus's face. "He doesn't have a favorite, darling. He just likes making us think that he does."

Louis gave the alpha a look. "You're just jealous."

Before Harry could argue, Atticus giggle and nodded eagerly.

"He's so jelly!" Atticus giggled, his cheeks red. "Grammy said that he used to get mad when he was a baby!"

Louis grinned at Harry's panicked expression. "Is that so? Why?"

Atticus glanced up at Louis before shifting his weight so he could whisper in the omega's ear. "He didn't like it when Grammy would hold Baba instead of him. She says that he would pout and glare until she held him too."

"You know, the point of whispering is to be quiet."

Harry was pouting, his skin scarlet as Atticus and Louis continued to laugh at him. Obviously feeling a bit helpless, he looked at his older brothers for support. Instead, though, Marcel and Edward snickering too.

Louis's sunshine smile never left his pretty blue eyes. "Don't pout, Harold. I'm sure that you were an adorable baby."

"Were?" Harry repeated incredulously. "I am an adorable baby!"

Atticus giggled loudly. "You're not a baby, daddy!"

"Yeah? Who says I'm not?"

"You're too big to be a baby!"

"Big? Are you calling me fat?"

Louis watched the scene with fond blue eyes, a large smile on his lips as Atticus continues to fake-argue with his father. It was all so adorable, it was almost sickening to watch or even experience.

Almost.

******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE
> 
> I'm not gonna lie, but I'm experiencing some major writer's block with this book. I enjoy writing it but I just don't have the energy for it anymore.
> 
> I'm trying to work through it, but it's hard.
> 
> Do you guys have any tips for getting through major writer's block?
> 
> THOUGHTS???
> 
> CONCERNS???


	26. Mockingbird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but i know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.....
> 
> Mockingbirds don't do one thing to but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's garden, don't nest in corncribs,they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.”  
> ― Harper Lee

L O U I S

"Nope. Try on the next one."

Louis scoffed at Niall's words, shooting an annoyed star in his best friend's direction. "This is the fifth one you made me try on, Niall!"

Niall shrugged, sharing a glance with Zayn.

Zayn had shown up after the triplets and Atticus left the night before. Louis had never actually met him before, so the blue-eyed omega panicked at the sight of the red-haired alpha covered in tattoos.

The alpha looked so rough and intimidating, but Zayn was actually pretty soft.

Which makes sense, considering that he's Niall's soulmate.

Anyway, all three of them were trying to figure out Louis's outfit for his date with the triplet's tonight. Zayn was sitting on his bed with Niall in his lap, affectionately running his tattooed hands along the omega's cheek.

Zayn studied the pile of clothes on Louis's bed. "Maybe you could try the powder blue dress? It matches your eyes, so it's a much safer bet."

Louis raised an eyebrow at the blue dress. "I don't know..."

"He's an artist, Lou. Trust him."

With nervous hands, Louis gently picked the dress off of his bed. 

The dress itself was light, powder blue, and went to Louis's knees. It clung to his hips and waist before flaring out around his thighs. The neckline was cute, resembling a turtleneck that really brought out the omega's golden skin.

The sleeves were long but flared out around his wrists.

It was one of Niall's dresses that he had leant to Louis.

"I feel ridiculous..."

Louis stepped out of his bathroom with flushed cheeks, his skin hot with embarrassment. The dress was soft and made him feel pretty, but a small part of him felt slightly insecure. He doesn't know if the triplets would like it.

Zayn blinked multiple times in disbelief. 

Niall, however, squealed loudly. "You look so cute! How the fucking fuck could you feel ridiculous?!"

"I-" Louis's nervous blush deepened. "I don't know. They've ne ver seen me in anything besides a leotard and skirt, Niall."

His best friend rolled his eyes. "They're going to absolutely lose it, trust me."

Louis's heart fluttered. "You think so?"

"I know it." Niall reassured him, smiling fondly. "You're giving them their bracelets tonight, right? I know that you've been working on them."

Louis nodded, fixing his dress as he approached his bedside table. Inside the top drawer, tied together with green ribbon, were three black boxes that held the triplets' bracelets. Niall, the nosy bastard, immediately snatched boxes.

Thank god the ribbons were a part of the lids.

"Be careful, you egghead!" Louis screeched, his face pink. "I can't have you breaking them!"

Niall ignored him, gently opening the top one.

Nestled gently in tissue paper was Edward's bracelet, which captured the alpha's personality pretty well. The band was thick and made of faux leather, but a brass key linked it together. Etched on the side was Louis's handwriting.

La cle de mon coer. {The key to my heart}

"You little sap." Niall breathed, looking emotional. "You made this?"

Louis bit his lip. "The charm is from one of my mum's charm necklaces. These bracelets are supposed to be personal, so I thought I'd put the charms to good use."

Niall looked at him with wide eyes. "I haven't seen you look at your mum's things since she died, Lou. Are you okay?"

And for once, Louis can tell the truth.

"I'm happy. Look at the rest, yeah?"

Niall nodded, gently opening the next box that held Harry's bracelet.

Harry's bracelet was identical to Edward's, but the faux leather was navy blue instead of charcoal black. The charm was a silver anchor, which gleamed and even lighter blue as the light hit the surface.

Words were etched on the side, also in Louis's handwriting.

Mon ancre au sol. {my anchor to the ground}

"This looks like his tattoo."

Louis grinned. "That's where I got the inspiration, actually. When I was looking through some of mum's things, I saw the necklace and instantly thought that the anchor looked like Harry's tattoo."

Niall looked even more emotional now. "Where was this creativity on my birthday? You got me socks, Louis!"

"That's what you asked for, idiot!"

At Louis's words, Zayn started to chuckle fondly at the embarrassed expression on Niall's face. He tucked a strand of hair behind the omega's ear, pressing a soft kiss to his neck. "Don't pout, bunny. Just look at the last one so you can help him finish getting ready."

Niall nodded, his skin flushed a soft pink. "R-right. Last one, then."

Louis watched as Niall opened the final box.

Marcel's bracelet looked worn and faded, but the faux leather was made to look like that on purpose. The charm, through, was a soft gold color that matched it perfectly. It was a compass with it's arrows pointed towards the word 'home'.

Ma boussole pour me conduire a la maison. {My compass to lead me home.}

"If they don't like these, I'm going to kick their ass."

Louis snickered. "Sure you will."

Niall gave him a look of annoyance, drie tears on his cheeks. "I mean it! These are so fucking beautiful, Louis. Next, you're going to tell me that you had something made for Atticus."

Silence.

"You didn't."

Louis bit his lip, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I didn't make it, but I found something that I thought he would like. i'm not giving it to him just yet, but I do have something."

Niall squealed loudly. "What is it!?"

Plastering an annoyed grin on his face, Louis walked to the same drawer he had placed the bracelets in. Niall handed him the bracelets while watching nosily as his best friend pulled a gift box from it.

Nestled inside, in a slightly bigger box, was his eventual gift for Atticus. 

"I-" Louis suddenly felt embarrassed. "I call him little bird, so I wanted to give him my mum's mockingbird necklace."

Resting gently in the velvet cushion was a well-worn mockingbird pendant on a simple chain. It was gaudy or fancy, but it resembled everything Louis's mum had been as a person. Looking at it, though, made his heart hurt.

Since Atticus had shown his fascination with Louis's necklace, the small omega thought that he would enjoy a necklace of his own.

"Oh, Louis," Niall breathed, tears welling up in his eyes. "He's going to love it."

Louis resisted the urge to cry. "You think so?"

Niall nodded, gently closing the box. "Atticus is very much a mockingbird, Louis. He's innocent and always try to see the good in people, no matter what."

"I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE
> 
> To Kill A Mockingbird is my favorite book.
> 
> The first time I read it was in the fourth grade. I was one of those kids that was considered 'gifted', so I had a much higher reading level than everyone else. It got to my head a bit, buyt that's besides the point.
> 
> That book changed my outlook on everything.
> 
> It discussed racial prejudice, family pressure, societal discrimination, and abuse while being from the perspective of a small child. It's full of metaphors that really triggered my love for writing and the english language as a whole.
> 
> When I came up with this story, I struggled to settle on a name for Atticus.
> 
> I wanted something unique that held a special meaning throughout the entire book. After I came up with the nickname {little bird} for Louis in another story, everything hit me like a train.
> 
> Thus, Atticus's character came into existence.
> 
> Usually I'm not good at coming up with original characters, but I simply adore Atticus with my entired heart. His name was on my list of names for my own children, which makes my love for him even stronger.
> 
> If you've never read 'To Kill A Mockingbird', I highly recommend reading it. Even if you don't live in America, I think that it's a very enlightening book to read.
> 
> All the Love,
> 
> Ash
> 
> ****
> 
> THOUGHTS???
> 
> CONCERNS???
> 
> THEORIES???


	27. Hell Hath No Fury

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

\- William Congreve

E D W A R D

"Can I help you?"

Edward plastered a fake smile on his lips, absently fixing the sleeves of his business suit. "You can, actually. I have an appointment with Mr. Benson about a potential investment?"

The female omega hummed, checking the computer. The busy office buzzed with conversation as some of the employees recognized the alpha. After a short while, the bubbly secretary smiled at Edward before handing him a clipboard to sign. 

"You have fifteen minutes, Mr. Styles. Mr. Benson has to take his daughter to piano practice."

Edward nodded, signing his name on the line. "No worries. This shouldn't take too long."

The secretary pointed in the direction of an elevator. "He's on the third floor, sir."

"Thanks."

********

Edward's hand twitched with fury as he stood in the elevator.

It didn't take that long to find out the identity of Louis's attacker. Niall had been more than willing to help, which was a plus. After that, Edward had been quick to schedule a 'business meeting' with Mr. Benson.

Mr. Benson ran a small business that sold paper.

A terrible job, honestly.

The eldest triplet wanted to punch Mr. Benson. He wanted to tear the man apart and absolutely ruin his life in the worst way possible. The thought of this random alpha hurting Louis; his Louis, filled Edward with unimaginable anger.

The only thing keeping him from doing that Mr. Benson's daughter.

Once he stepped off of the elevator, Edward immediately made his way to Mr. Benson's private office. The alpha thought that he was here to discuss business investments.

In reality, Edward was here to discuss something much more important.

"Mr. Styles. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Edward ignored Mr. Benson's outstretched hand, plastering a professional expression on his face. "I wish I could say the same. Let's have a chat, Mr. Benson."

The alpha awkwardly pulled his hand away. "Sure. And please, call me James."

Fucking dickwad.

Edward moved to sit on a shabby chair in front of the office desk as James shut the door. Fury was boiling in his veins, but he had to focus on using what little self-restraint he had. Especially when he sees pictures of his daughter around the room.

James sat down at his desk, smiling warmly. "So what brings-"

"Let's cut to the chase, James." Edward interrupted harshly, his voice hard. "How often do you hit omegas? I'm curious."

The older alpha went rigid.

Checkmate, dickwad.

Edward clenched his jaw, sitting back in his chair. "I have every right to knock your fucking brains out, James. But my soulmate, the omega you assaulted yesterday, doesn't believe in violence."

James blinked, regaining his composure. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Styles. Maybe you should leave."

"I don't think so," Edward murmured, his green eyes hard. "I want to know what gives you a right to hit omegas, James."

The alpha didn't respond.

Edward scoffed, sitting up straighter as he glared at the alpha in front of him. "You're on video, James. You assaulted my omega, which gives me reasonable cause to defend him. In this case, I want to kick your ass."

James's eyes widened in obvious panic. "I-I had no idea that he was claimed, Mr. Styles."

"So-" Edward clenched his jaw. "So if he wasn't claimed, it would be okay? You assaulted him in front of my son!"

The room echoed with the amount of anger in Edward's voice.

James flinched at the sound, obviously struggling to come up with an excuse. "O-of course not, Mr. Styles. I had a moment of anger, but I shouldn't have hit him."

That's a shitty excuse.

Edward growled, lurching forward to yank the alpha out of his chair. "Where's the big bad alpha that hit my omega?! Or the alpha that got angry when an omega didn't put up with his egotistical bullshit?!"

"I-" James growled, pulling away. "He tried to tell me how to parent my child! He was disrespectful, so somebody had to teach him respect!"

Edward's hand twitched. "Care to repeat that?"

James, who seemed to have regained his sense of pride and dignity, smirked. "Someone has to teach your omega respect, Mr. Styles. He's mouthy."

Thank you, dickwad.

Edward pulled his arm back and land a harsh punch on the alpha's jaw, causing James to take a few steps backward. It was incredibly satisfying to see the alpha wince.

James touched his jaw, spitting out a bit of blood. 

A moment of tense silence filled the air as both alphas studied each other. Edward was fuming with anger and his fist ached slightly. James, however, simply scoffed and rolled his eyes like he was annoyed.

"I can press charges, you know."

Edward scoffed, fixing his suit. "I don't think that you will. You attacked my omega first, James. Legally, I'm entitled to defend him and his honor. You know what that means, right?"

James froze.

The eldest triplet grinned smugly, turning to exit the small office. "This is only the beginning of what I wish to do, Mr. Benson. You should expect to hear from my lawyer, especially since I'm suing for emotional trauma."

"For the omega?!"

Edward shook his head at James's words. "For my son. As for my soulmate, I plan on pressing charges against you for assault."

James looked gobsmacked.

As he opened the door, Edward shot a smug grin at the shocked alpha. "Have a nice day, Mr. Benson. It was nice doing business with you."

*******

"Baba!"

Edward grinned as Atticus ran to greet him at the door, hugging the small pup tightly. Clifford followed close behind, followed by a grumpy Darcy. The cat was very attached to the eldest triplet, which was to be expected.

Atticus eagerly tapped his fingers on Edward's arm as his father picked him up. "Gramma's here, Baba! She's making cookies!"

That explains the smell.

"She is?" Edward felt his heartbeat pick up speed. "Where's Poppa and Daddy?"

Atticus gave his father a confused look. "With Gramma, obvisly! She wants to know about Lou!"

Shitshitshit.

Edward smiled fondly at Atticus's mispronunciation, hiding his initial panic. "Of course she does. Let's go steal some cookie dough!"

The eldest triplet carried Atticus, who was giggling loudly, down the hall and into the kitchen. His stomach churned with anxiety as he heard hushed voices, but he couldn't make out what they were actually saying.

Anne was placing cookie dough on a baking sheet, her lips set in a small frown.

Harry and Marcel were sitting at the kitchen table, sharing guilty looks. The air was thick with awkward tension that definitely didn't seem to dissipate when Edward and Atticus made their appearance.

Edward placed Atticus on the ground before hugging his mother. "I didn't know that you were visiting, mum. You usually call."

Anne didn't even return the hug. "Normally I would, but my sons don't seem to even want to talk. Let alone tell me that they've found their soulmate."

Yikes.

"How long have you known?"

Anne clenched her jaw, finally looking in Edward's direction. "Since this morning. I got a call from Gemma about some article, Edward. I had to find out about your soulmate through an article!"

Edward winced. "Mum, we have a good-"

"Explanation?" Anne finished, crossing her arms. "You better have a fantastic one. I made lunch, so we can discuss it while we eat."

*******

AUTHOR'S NOTE

The date is still happening so don't worry.

THOUGHTS???

CONCERNS???

THEORIES???

*****

***


	28. A Bit Too Much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “He's unconventionally attractive and yet coincidentally everything I've ever wanted.”  
> ― Crystal Woods

E D W A R D

"-and he's so nice, Gramma!"

Anne hummed, fondly fixing Atticus's curls as the small boy chewed on his macaroni and cheese. "Yeah?"

Atticus nodded happily, moving his legs under the table in a fashion that resembled kicking the air. He was obviously hyper from the little bit of cookie dough that Anne had given him, even though it had barely been a spoonful.

As Atticus continued to eat his lunch, Anne sighed and looked at her son's with narrowed eyes that screamed stern annoyance.

"Tell me about him. Please."

Edward shared a glance with Harry.

Harry nodded, taking a deep breath as he pushed his empty bowl away. "His name is Louis. He works as a ballet teacher at Niall's dance studio. He's Atticus's teacher."

Anne blinked. "...As in..Louis Tomlinson?"

God, I wish she wouldn't say it like that.

Edward bit the inside of his cheek, trying not to cringe at her speculative tone. "Yes, mum. He's Johannah's son."

"What is he doing in-"

Marcel, who had been trying to be quiet, effectively cut her sentence off. "He's really close with Niall and enjoys teaching children. I would really appreciate it if you didn't pick apart every detail of his life."

Yikes.

Anne flinched at the harsh tone in Marcel's voice. "I just want to know a bit about your soulmate, Marcel. I'm not trying to be overbearing."

Her words were full of sincere honesty.

This time, at least.

Edward gave Marcel a look to calm down, especially since Atticus was in the room and blissfully unaware of the tension between them and their mum. "Well, he's nuts about Atticus. Didn't want anything to do with us but-"

Anne cocked her head to the side. "Why wouldn't he? Isn't he your soulmate?"

"He-" Edward licked his lips. "Louis has three bracelets, so he believed that he didn't have soulmates. He was a bit surprised."

Atticus, who had been drawing a pad of paper that was next to his food, bolted upright at the mention of Louis's name. And his bracelets, of course. "I 'member that! He said a bunch of bad words and got mad!"

Anne blinked multiple times. "He said bad words in front of you, Atticus?"

This was dangerous territory.

"Mum..." Harry mumbled a warning. "Don't judge him for having a moment of panic. I've cursed in front him plenty of times."

Marcel hummed in agreement, scowling at their mother. "Plus, you definitely shouldn't be bring our son into this discussion. He adores Louis even more than we do. Don't try to turn him against our soulmate."

Anne froze, obviously embarrassed. "I wasn't-"

"Don't lie."

A moment of hushed silence blanketed the air as Marcel and Anne stared at eachother. They had their own issues, but this was not an argument they hould be having in front of Atticus. 

Edward sighed in pure exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Harry, though, is the one who spoke up. "You should go put Atticus down for his nap, Marcel. We don't want him to be super tired when he goes to spend the night with zayn and Niall. He tends to get a bit...upset."

Atticus whined loudly. "I don't wanna take a nap, Daddy! What if Lou comes over while I'm sleeping??"

Marcel begrudgingly got to his feet.

"He won't, Atticus," Harry promised. "We're picking him up for a date tonight, remember? In the butterfly garden?"

Atticus gasped loudly. "Really?"

Marcel's scowl was quickly replaced by pure fond as he lifted the small pup from his chair. Anne, meanwhile, was still processing the information. "That's why you're spending the night with your uncles, bub."

"And watch Star Wars?!"

The pair vanished as they continued the conversation, so Marcel's answer was muffled as they got further away. Anne, Harry, and Edward were alone at the table; simply staring at eachother in uncomfortable silence.

Harry cleared his throat. "He really is amazing, mum. You don't need to worry about us or Atticus. We trust him, which should be enough."

Anne sighed. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"He won't hurt us, mum," Harry reassured her, holding Anne hand. "If anything, Louis's terrified that we're going to hurt him."

That much was painfully true.

When the triplets seem to make progress in breaking down Louis's walls, the small omega always found a way to build them a little higher. It was frustrating at times, but Edward can understand why.

Louis's been hurt by the person who was supposed to love and protect him.

"Atticus does seem to love him."

Edward grinned at that, not hiding his obvious fondness. "The day that we met, Atticus was all over Louis."

Harry chuckled as well, his dimples popping out. "And Atticus does thing where he holds Louis's skirt whenever they walk somewhere. He's practically glued to him and it's an absolutely adorable sight."

"I-" Anne looked shocked. "Are we talking about the same Atticus who threw a fit when Niall was sick and hired a substitute?"

Both alphas nodded.

Anne smiled, her kind eyes flickering to Atticus's sketchpad. "I can't wait to meet him, then. Jay was always nice when I picked you guys up from your Auntie Maura's."

Edward froze at the mention of Jay.

Harry, though, simply cleared his throat and shifted his weight in his seat. "Speaking of which...Marcel was supposed to talk to you about some legal matters...especially since you were Jay's divorce lawyer."

A heavy silence blanketed the air.

Anne obviously seemed surprised that the triplets knew, but Marcel's private investigator had uncovered alot. "You know that I'm not allowed to discuss my clients, Harry. It's a breach of privacy."

"But-" Edward swallowed thickly. "Louis's trapped, mum."

His voice cracked at the word.

Anne's eyes softened at the sound, still looking conflicted. "What do you mean, love? He's hardly trapped when his father is in Paris."

Edward's throat was tight with emotion. "He's under this contract with his dad, mum. He signed it when he was really young, but it gives Troy complete control over his money until he turns twenty-five."

"Young?" Anne repeated, here eyesbrows furrowed. "How old?"

Harry (who had noticed Edward's emotional struggle) spoke for his older brother. "He was thirteen. Because the contract was with his father, his legal guardian, it's actually completely legal."

Anne looked disgusted. "I never liked that man. He always used Louis to make money and there was nothing that Jay could do about it."

"Why not?"

Harry's voice was low as he spoke.

Anne looked away from her sons, obviously struggling with whatever she was thinking. "Jay and Troy married and mated when they were super young. They had alot of issues, which led to bothe of them eventually cheating."

Oh.

In terms of custody, cheating never looks good.

"But-" Harry's voice was still low. "What does that have to do with Louis?"

Their mother sighed and licked her lips, looking guilty for a split second. For once, Anne had a terrible pokerface. "If I tell you...you can't tell Louis. The last thing that poor boy needs is emotional stress."

Edward shared a look with Harry before glancing back at their mother. "I don't like the tone of your voice. What is it?"

"I-" Anne's bottom lip wobbled. "Troy's last name is Austin. Not Tomlinson."

What?

Harry looked as confused as Edward felt. "But Louis's last name is Tomlinson, mum. Why would he have a different last name than his dad?"

Anne took a shaky breath. "Troy wasn't Jay's soulmate. He's not Louis's biological father...because Jay cheated on Troy with another alpha."

Holy.

Fucking.

Shit.

*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE
> 
> well shit :/
> 
> The plot is thickening, my dudes
> 
> THOUGHTS???
> 
> CONCERNS????
> 
> ***
> 
> THEORIES???
> 
> ****


	29. DISCONTINUED

I'm so sorry.

A shitty apology, I know.

I've never given up on something before, especially a story that I adore with every fiber of my soul. I had so many plans for this book but I can't seem to write it in a way that is acceptable.

I've tried everything to work past my writer's block.

Instead of leaving you guys empty-handed, I've decided to outline everything I had in store for the plot and the eventual ending. I had everything pre-planned, so I hope that this answers all of your questions.

1\. Their date was a picnic in the butterfly garden. Atticus insisted on helping the triplets set up the sanctuary. He helps put fairy lights on the ground and picked out the food Harry would make.

Harry plays and sings a song for Louis. I was thinking 'I Won't Give Up' by Jason Mraz, but let your imaginations run wild.

2\. They do trade bracelets. Harry's bracelet for Louis is a pretty gray one that is handmade. His bracelet is woven and braided to form a thick band with blue sapphires sparkling throughout.

Marcel's bracelet for Louis is a simple leather strap with open and closed books engraved on it. It's tied with a blue ribbon. It's not flashy, but adorably perfect in design.

3\. Sex.

They do have sex. It's slow and careful, full of love and passion. Marcel went first, then Harry, then Edward. They mate and seal the bond -at Louis's request- and exchange proclamations of love.

4\. The next day, after the triplets drop him off and pick up Atticus for the day, Troy makes an appearance. He brings Lottie and Faith (who is the character I made instead of Fizzy). They're Louis's half-sisters.

He threatens Louis by making vague threats towards Atticus. He also alludes to the fact that he had Jay killed so a child shouldn't be too hard.

Louis is manipulated into leaving for the sake of Atticus. It absolutely destroys him but he wants to keep Atticus safe, even if it destroys him. He's freshly bonded to the triplets, so the forced separation is going to cause all of them some physical and emotional pain.

He doesn't tell Niall or anyone.

He just leaves.

********

5\. The story continues three months later.

Atticus is devastated. When he found out about Louis being gone, he cried for days. He worked himself up so much that the triplets had to use some of Louis's 'forgotten' clothes to soothe his heartache.

Louis even left Atticus's necklace with a note attached.

It reads:

I'm so sorry, my little bird.

Words cannot describe how much I love you, even though it doesn't seem like it. I hate the fact that I'm even writing this and leaving, but I don't have a choice. Some mistakes get made, love.

Be good for your dads' and Niall. 

They need you, bub.

This necklace is for you, little bird. It belonged to my mother, who gave it to me, and I give it to you. I want you to have it to remember me by.

I love you so much, petit oiseau.

Please remember that.

\- Lou

6\. The triplets have mixed reactions.

Harry is furious. He's angry and hurt that Louis would leave at all, especially with Atticus being so attached. He's pissed that they didn't get an explanation, especially since they actually MATED.

Edward is distraught. He feels empty and sad, so much that it physically hurts him to be away from Louis. All he can feel through the mating mark is fear and sadness, which only makes him even more worried.

Marcel, though, is....confused and determined.

He knows that there had to be a reason that Louis would leave. He's definitely hurt, yeah, but he's more concerned for Louis's safety and wellbeing. So he hired the same private investigator, who he used to find out more about Jay, to find Louis.

7\. Meanwhile, Louis is in pure hell.

He's being forced to train long hours and dance until he can't function; all in an attempt to spare his sisters from the same fate he had as a child. Troy is basically starving Louis so he can lose weight, but he can't.

He has only one friend, a fellow dancer.

Luke Hemmings.

8\. Three months after leaving, Louis is forced to host a charity ball in honor of his latest performance. He's been nonstop sick and nauseous, though, so Luke sneaks in a pregnancy test.

Louis's pregnant.

After the discovery, Louis keeps it a secret as Troy drags him around the room and flaunts him like a rag doll. It's a sickening mix of celebrities and former dance stars. His mating marks have healed, but the pain hasn't.

9\. The triplets are there.

Troy notices and flaunts Louis in front of them like a lost prize. 

Louis is frozen in place, trying hard not to burst into tears as each of the triplets look at him. He wants to be held and protected. He wants to rejoice in his pregnancy with them, but he's trapped.

He's being so dodgy, it concerns the triplets.

10\. Upon seeing Louis, the triplets' emotions change.

Harry isn't angry anymore. Upon seeing Louis, he's suddenly confused and incredibly concerned. Louis is pale and thin, despite a VERY FAMILIAR scent that keeps coming off of him in waves.

He's pregnant.

Edward is angry and protective.

With Louis being pregnant, Edward knows that there is no way in hell that he would be here like this. He knows that Louis wouldn't be caught dead with Troy, so something must be wrong.

Marcel is pissed.

His pregnant omega is obviously being mistreated and abused, so now all he wants to do is strangle Troy Austin. He wants to make Troy hurt like he hurt Louis and indirectly hurt Atticus.

11\. During the ball, Marcel manages to pull Louis aside for a dance. Edward and Harry keep Troy distracted by paying for tall glasses of champagne.

{sentences that I thought would be exchanged}

Louis: You shouldn't be here, Marcel.

Marcel: You look sick, dove. What's he doing to you? Why are you here?

Louis: ......I want to be here. I'm fine.

Marcel: {harshly} You're pregnant!

Louis: I just found out, Marcel. Don't be mad at me for something I didn't know until today.

Marcel: ..........

Marcel: Atticus misses you. He sleeps with your shirt and constantly wears that necklace you gave him. He wants you to come home.

Louis: {tearing up} I can't, Marcel.

Marcel: Why? What does Troy have over you?!

Louis: He threatened Atticus. He had my mum killed, so I wouldn't put it past him to hurt someone like petit oiseau.

Marcel: He what?

Louis: {pulling away from Marcel} I have to stay until my contract is up.

Marcel: {grabbing Louis's face in his hands} Dove, listen to me. He's not your real father. That contract is illegal.

Louis: {shocked silence}

12\. It's revealed that Luke is Marcel's private investigator.

13\. After reuniting with Edward, Harry, and Marcel, Louis has a moment of comfort with them. The marvel over Louis's tummy and simply hold each other. They never want this moment to end.

14\. Louis has a confrontation with Troy after the ball.

15\. After the truth is revealed, Louis packs his things. He also convinces Lottie and faith to come with him and escape to London.

16\. Two weeks after the ball, Louis finally returns home.

He's clearly sick and worn down, so the triplets make him go to the hospital before Atticus sees his condition. His injured appearance would make Atticus freak out in a really negative way.

17\. Louis reunites with Atticus.

Atticus is wary of Louis and absolutely terrified that his favorite person is going to disappear again. He starts crying and latches onto Louis, growling at the alpha doctors who came close.

18\. Louis goes home with the triplets and Atticus.

***********

This is as far as I planned to take the story. I left the ending very open to interpretation, however you wish to imagine it. I really wish that I could've written this and finished it.

I'm so sorry for this. 

I feel like shit, but I don't want to force myself to write something I have no motivation for. I really hope that you guys understand, but I definitely get it if you don't.

All the love,

Ash


End file.
